InuYasha: Upon A Wishing Well
by BrightBlurr
Summary: They went their separate ways once Naraku was defeated – the thread that held them together was severed. When the sudden bond returns, will broken paths return to one another? In discovering a hidden evil, lurking in her own era, Kagome is forced to reunite with her friends in the Feudal Era, and reconnect with those she loved. (InuKag).
1. Chapter 1

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

**General Description: **They went their separate ways once Naraku was defeated – the thread that held them together was severed. When the sudden bond returns, these five threads join together. (InuKag).

**Detailed Description: **Naraku was defeated – Kagome chose to go home, Inuyasha chose to grieve Kikyo forever, Sango decided to find other taijiya, and Miroku chose to create his own family. The bond that held them together, their hatred for Naraku, dissipated and left them separated.

It is in Kagome's time that she finds this bond, unknowingly, festering in the form of her childhood playmate. Will it lead her back to the Feudal Era?

**OOC Note: **This is fanfiction that takes place before the series ends. Everyone goes their own ways. There is an original character, but she is not entirely original. It will be interesting, and it won't take up too much of your time to read. My main ship is InuKag for this.

**Chapter One: **Five Paths, One Bond.

* * *

_It's been six years since I was a fifteen year old girl in Tokyo. I've graduated University, I know English and I'm going to register for a nursing program in Tokyo now.. and yet, I still feel like that little girl. I miss somethings.. and other things, I don't miss. Being here, outside of the shrine, gives me these weird feelings._

_I feel like a runaway coming home._

Four bags out of the Uber she took from the airport to the city. She couldn't drag them all at once, so she chose the two biggest ones and dragged them over to the flight of stairs leading up to the shrine. The Higurashi Shrine still looked as new as it had several years ago. The sights and sounds of the Shrine filled her ears. Birds chirping, people visiting the statuettes inside. Her smile came slowly, at the sight of Sota helping people dressed in priest's robes. Her mother was standing near the door, and finally spotted her. She waved her over, and Kagome's heart took a leap.

Sota came over, took some of the bags, and helped her inside. She was sitting across from her entire family, in the same warm setting of a middle-class Tokyo home. Grandpa, Sota, Mom and Buyo were almost the same, even if she wasn't. It made her feel better. Sota sprouted up, and reached up higher than her. Grandpa looked the same, and mom had finally grown her hair out to be beautiful at her shoulders. Altogether, when she saw the changes, it made her glad. Time didn't stop for her, it went on. But it went on in a way that was familiar for her.

"I'll have Sota put your things in your old room," her mom said. "I've made your favourites for dinner. I hope you don't mind Japanese food.. you must be so used to American cuisine.." "—Oh no! I missed you cooking so much," Kagome disagreed. "I can't wait to try everything! Thank you so much."

"Hey sis, I saw that you aren't listed on Greg's profile as a girlfriend," her brother teased.

"We didn't break up, we're taking a break. It's different!" she disagreed.

Over and over, questions were thrown at her. What's a break? How was graduation? Did she go to convocation with Greg? How are her friends there? Did she ever see the President? How is she going to find a place to stay close to downtown Tokyo? And on and on.

It was evening by the time she managed to get away and lie down in her warm bed. Surrounded by yellow sheets and pink walls. Her head lulled to one side, and her breathing slowed down. Time seemed to still..

Until she felt oddly awake. And the jetlag crawled through her like morphine. She sat up, let out a frustrated growl, and then covered her face with pillows. She turned over, laid on her side, tried to cover her ears. But it didn't help. The sleep never came back, and she was forced to confront the truth at last. She was still functioning in Eastern Standard Time. She couldn't sleep!

Without anything else to do, she stood up and headed downstairs. Her family was still gathered there, with Sota and Mom discussing something. When she came down, attention briefly came to her. "Oh, honey! I thought you were asleep," her mom started. "Did we wake you?" "No, I have jetlag," she admitted. "I thought I'd come down and see what you were doing."

She sat down, afraid of the questions barrelling at her. But they didn't come. Instead, they seemed almost concerned that she was here. "What's wrong? Did I interrupt something?" she asked. Her insides crumbled at the idea that they had secret meetings she couldn't be invited to. Did they really forget her so much? Was she unnecessary? Her feet bunched together, and she felt bitterness in her. Until her mother reached out and put a hand on her knee. Her kind smile, her warm eyes, reminded Kagome of home. She was home, and no one would hurt her here. "No, sweetie.. I'll explain," she said. "We were talking about how to tell you this, since you just came back. But you seem to happy. It would be a shame to ruin it now.."

Kagome didn't understand.

Finally, her mother sat beside her. A lot closer than she had when Kagome came home. "You had a childhood playmate, the girl from the Shrine a few blocks away, remember?" she was asked.

Kagome had to think this time. But her mind took her back to her childhood. A little five year old, running through grassy plains of another Shrine. This one had no stairs leading up to it. It was in an area full of greenery. They had cherry blossoms and a beautiful altar. She used to go dressed in a sweater and a skirt, and be chased around by a girl in a smaller version of the hakama that a priestess would wear. In her mind, that girl had long dark hair, and she looked happy. Kagome remembered how the girl was so proper, even for a five year old. She was the one Kagome was jealous of as a child, since she looked radiant..

She remembered it now. "I remember!" she exclaimed, seemingly drawn out of that childhood. It had been so long ago, and after her father passed away, they seemingly had no contact with that shrine. From how little she remembered, the girl had to take the burden of becoming the priestess, and her training was more important than anything. Kagome never saw her again.

"Well.. they had a tragic accident a few years ago. The shrine caught fire," her mother started. "An accident?! Is.. did the family survive?" was her first question.

"Yes.. well, Maiko survived. But no one else did. And she's been very weak since then. They believe she may die soon."

Gone in an instance was the happy looking girl from Kagome's mind. She didn't know how to feel – bad for not remembering someone who was so important to her as a child, or bad for knowing that someone was going through so much suffering as she left Tokyo. She looked to the ground, then at her mother. "Can I go see her?" she asked.

Her mother agreed, it was a good idea.

* * *

Leaving the Shrine so early in the day felt like night time. Kagome had to watch the sun rise, and all the time she felt sleepy. Her eyes drifted open and close. Her legs felt wobbly. She could recall someone saying to sleep through the night no matter what, but after hearing the news about this other Shrine, she couldn't sleep. Her mind recalled other bad memories. She didn't know what to think. She stepped outside after her mother told her where to go. The Ishiguro Shrine wasn't far from theirs, just a short walk. She was told she might not see it right away. It had poor construction and much of the greenery never came back to the shrine after the accident. Maiko, although still the shrine priestess, required too much rest to do her duties and functions. It wasn't a place for life. They hoped Kagome could give her some hope. Kagome hoped she could too.

At first, her steps took her past one of the buildings on their property. She could have dashed down the stairs. But she stopped when she saw the building door, locked shut. Her eyed narrowed, a familiarity dawning on her. She didn't step towards it, although her stomach lurched at the idea of opening those doors. Her head turned to the other side of the Higurashi Shrine property, to the sight of a large tree towering over everything. Her hands clasped into fists.. her eyes felt blurry.

So it was still here, all these years later. The reminder of why she chose a University in another country. To find a new her, to move on. It was as if time had not touched either of these landmarks. They stood intimidating. She wandered over to the tree, hand reaching out to press to the trunk. A spot where something had notched the old wood made her lean in. Her fingers quivered, eyes closed.

And a tear raced down her cheeks.

"Hey.. everyone, it's me, Kagome. I'm back. I did it, I got my degree. I'll start working soon too. I know you guys would be so proud. I wish I could bandage all of your wounds, Sango.. And I'd shout at Miroku for you too. You probably have kids by now.. And Shippo. I wish I could bring you all of the sweets from New York. They have chocolate with caramel.. you'd love it. And.."

Here, she felt choked up. Her head leaned against the old wood. Her throat became dry. She tried to picture him. Silver hair, red haori and all, wandering the village. Chopping wood for Kaede, maybe. "A-and Inuyasha.. I know you're probably okay. But I'd bring you ramen, and everything," she whispered. "I know you don't miss me.. but I miss you. Every day, of every second. I know I can't forget you, even if you've forgotten me.. So I just want you to know I'm back. I—"

"Kagome?" came her mother's voice. She turned around and watched her mother, frowning, looking at her from a distance. It was embarrassing. How much had she heard? How much did she know about how she felt? Kagome wanted to run. She turned away, waved, and said she'd be back soon. She could never tell her mother how much she missed them. The life she had as a young girl in the Feudal Era was one that was impossible to go back to now.

* * *

It was true. Kagome had not been down the path to the Ishiguro shrine in all of her memorable time. Ever since her father passed away, she only remembered being busy with her own life. She had few memories of him, and fewer still of Maiko Ishigura. In Kagome's memories, she was a pretty five year old, who was a year older than Kagome. She had dark hair, pale features and naturally pretty red lips. She was the kind of doll Kagome wanted as a child. When the visits to the shrine stopped, Kagome forgot all about that playmate.

There was a winding path to the Shrine, with many familiar landmarks. The playground she went to often with Ayumi, Eri and Yuka up until she became a teenager – the Wacdonalds that she loved eating at. It was all here, but the Ishiguro Shrine was a place they never went to. Why go to another Shrine when you're living in the most important one in the area? She could feel the wind in her hair, still down her back, and still styled to look perfect on her petite frame. She could feel eyes on her, until someone finally called out. Turning to the park, she noticed three girls crowded over a bench. One had a baby in her arms, with cute brown hair. Kagome stopped, had to inhale, and then noticed the features all familiar. "Ayumi, Eri and Yuka!" she shouted, in greeting. Her hand lifted, and she waved at them.

She couldn't expect them to run over, so she naturally ran over instead. The park felt warm and familiar. "Kagome, you're back! You should have told us," Eri scolded. Yuka hugged her first, and slowly the three of them felt as if time had eased back.

She told them about America, about how she loved University. She even mentioned her ex-boyfriend, who she was planning to visit over the summer. Life changed between the three of them.. As time went on, they kept talking.

And the sun started to droop. But they continued to talk.

* * *

By the time she realised it was evening, she knew it was late and the Shrine might be closed. Still, she'd been told the caretaker would be waiting for her visit.

She waved goodbye to her friends, and Ayumi's baby, and headed down the path towards the shrine. It looked less and less like any path in their area, and more like somewhere in a poorer part of Tokyo. Finally, the Shrine, located on ground level, became visible to her. It was a Shrine, but the surroundings were so poor that it seemed less and less likely anyone would visit. The sunset only made it all the more eerie.

The Shrine had visible burn marks, although it had been rebuilt to a functionable stage. Whoever took care of this Shrine was dedicated, but could not handle the terrible damage to everything. Kagome's insides felt strange, and she felt an odd weakness here. Her step towards it revealed nothing but fear in her.

At long last, she reached out to the door to the prayer room, only to stop at the sound of someone coughing inside. She hesitated, and finally opened it. The woman standing near the altar, burning incense, looked too frail to do so. Kagome's glance reminded her of how the beautiful woman appeared almost like Kikyo, her past self.. Pale skin, long hair, fragile figure, long fingers. Kagome could not see her face, but the beautiful white and red hakama was enough to tell her this was Maiko, her childhood playmate, who had not recovered after the tragic accident that killed her family.

Maiko was a shrine maiden. The thought made Kagome's life fall into perspective. At the age of fifteen, she had discovered she had spiritual powers. She learned that in her past life she had been a shrine maiden, doomed to die a tragic life. Since then, Kagome had considered the likelihood of her becoming a shrine maiden. If she had stayed in the Feudal Era, the possibility was almost entirely certain. She could have replaced Kaede, she could have been by Inuyasha's side.. playing with Sango and Miroku's children, visiting places they travelled together. In her mind, it was a future she saw because of what she was.

Now, she knew that maybe it hadn't been all chance. She had been visiting a girl who was going to be a Shrine Maiden too. She had known about this kind of a life as a child. So how did it come to a point where the elegant woman before her had been forgotten? Did Maiko have spiritual abilities?

Kagome had sensed them in the past. Whenever Kikyo, or a negative being was around, she sensed it. The more she looked at Maiko, the more her strong spiritual energy came visible. But it also made her feel something worse.. Like, her stomach had felt this before.

As soon as she had started to approach, the woman gave a cough. Black, red liquid sputtered onto the ground. She did not have the opportunity to turn around, and instead fell backwards. Kagome came forward in time to kneel and cushion her fall. Indeed, the pale, pretty girl in Kagome's arms was similar in features to the one Kagome remembered in her childhood. Slightly wavy dark hair, delicate features – she was everything and nothing like the girl Kagome remembered. Kagome's hand moved to her mouth, brushing over her features, and took in the red blood staining her lip.

When someone came running in, Kagome helped lift Maiko. The man, clearly her caretaker, helped take Maiko into the residential building. Like Kagome's home, it was located on Shrine grounds. They took her into a bedroom upstairs, with a sliding traditional door. This place had been remade, but there was still scarring of the old fire. Kagome saw it in this room, that was painted gray and lacked any sort of real decoration. Compared to her memories, this shrine was disturbingly lacking. In this room, she felt the worst. She watched the caretaker clean Maiko's face, press a wet cloth to her forehead and then put ointment on her. She saw how the clock ticked slowly, and then finally the way the caretaker beckoned her out. The door was closed, and she was lead back downstairs.

* * *

In Kagome's mind, something did not settle well. The further she was from Maiko, the more she understood the presence was not lingering. It felt like.. a bad spirit.

She sat down in the seating area, with the caretaker, who served her tea in an old styled cup. "My name is Taro, I'm her caretaker," he explained, sipping his tea. Kagome politely sipped hers, but missed the taste of Starbucks tea. "What's wrong with her? Why is she so sick?" Kagome asked.

"We don't know.. Her insides were damaged in the fire, and she never healed. I don't think she is long for this world. It's tragic, she was a talented priestess."

"What happened in the fire? I haven't been here in so long.. it used to be so beautiful," she lamented.

Taro seemed to pause, for a minute, then lifted his cup to his mouth. "No one knows what happened. One day, a fire started in Maiko's room.. it killed everyone, save for Maiko, who jumped out of her window with her brother," Taro answered. Kagome tried to remember a brother, but couldn't. The entire situation sounded saddening. "This shrine is built over the estate of a wealthy lord of from the Feudal times," Taro lamented, sadly. "To see so much history burned away.. With no cause of the fire. It was shameful. Lady Maiko has never been the same since.."

Kagome lowered her cup, and then glanced around the room. She was rusty, but she could see no signs of demons here. Nothing to make her feel a negative presence. Maybe it was just the knowledge that people died here. Maybe it was knowing someone was dying, that really upset her. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if her family died. "Did her brother live? I don't remember hearing about that," she asked.

"Ah.. No, he died in her arms. It's no wonder Lady Maiko is so melancholy. She loved her brother more than herself," Taro answered. "Anyway, she won't be awake for at least the night. Would you like a tour of the shrine?"

* * *

In her mind, the open field and the trees reminded her of the Feudal Era. By the time she had finished the tour, she said she wanted to stop and pray. But the reality was, she needed a break from the thoughts of sadness. But truthfully, she didn't know how she could see Maiko's fate as any different from her own.

She lost loved ones too, just not the same way.

"A miko has to be alone," she decided, aloud. "Even though I never became one, I still ended up alone. Like Kikyo, I could never have Inuyasha.."

She stopped to kneel in the shrine room, hands folded, and took in the vast emptiness. She took in the smell of incense, the way the room was just eclipsed in dark.

It wasn't until something moved that she stood up, and took in a spider crawling over an idol. Eyebrows furrowed, and she took a step back. _That's big. We don't get spiders like those here.._

It crawled up the idol and behind it, but not before it stopped. Kagome's heart raced again. Since when was she afraid of spiders? Probably never. But after so much time away from things in Japan, even a little spider seemed monumental. Her shaking hands moved to pick up her purse, while she turned away from the idol. That negative feeling felt increased here, in this holy room. Nothing in this shrine seemed connected to purity at all. In this place, Kagome saw death, disturbances and even more despair. People who lived in shrines were supposed to be healthy and happy.

Kagome wanted to go, quickly. So she walked out and dialed for an Uber. When she turned back, at the sound of something moving at distance in the house, she spotted the pale Maiko, in white linen, watching her from the doorway.

She didn't know what to say or do. The way she stared made Kagome nervous. She lifted her hand, and attempted to wave, but felt it was inappropriate somehow. The way Maiko looked on, with no expression, reminded her of something she didn't like.

Her Uber arrived, the window shade closed, and Kagome turned to bound off of the shrine property.


	2. Chapter 2

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

Xxxx

**Chapter Two**

Somehow, being away from Ishiguro Shrine brought more peace to her than all of her time in five years. She went to bed, went straight to sleep and woke up in the afternoon. The sound of birds chirping and tree branches poking into her vision made her turn around. She looked over at the open window sill, and let a smile replace her tired frown.

_Years ago, Inuyasha used to sit on that window sill and watch me sleep.. Even though he's not here anymore, it makes me feel safe. Being alone in Ishiguro Shrine wasn't safe.._

In truth, she felt more like it was a bad place. Maiko was sick, but beyond that, the place was unusually dark. Every corner felt as if it was covered in ashes. She thought maybe that was what places with the dead looked like, felt like – she had never been somewhere where so much tragedy had consumed a family. Not in this time, anyway.

When she came downstairs, she found herself blending into the routine her family had, even if she was a few hours late. Lunch, shower, prayer, then go out for some shopping. She could see herself being that girl again, who lived here. She knew realistically, her job would take her into the downtown area, and she needed to live closer. But her options weren't so bad. She could always buy a vehicle and drive, or start bussing there, like she did as a child. All of these options made her happy.

Her mother eventually asked about Maiko. Kagome had to frown, and explain she didn't get to talk to her. "She was too sick, she fainted right when I approached," she admitted. "I hope she feels well.. Maybe I'll go earlier next time."

"Just find something else to do for now, honey," her mother added. Kagome considered cooking, or cleaning. But overall, she felt exhausted. She didn't know why. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and exhaled. Her breath came out slowly. "I think I'll take a nap, maybe go look around the shrine," she decided. "I haven't seen everything since I came back."

When she stood up, put her plate in the sink, her mother stopped her with a concerned look and a hand on her shoulder. "No more messages to.. _you know who_, okay, dear? You know I—" "I know, mom," she answered, with a smile. But she felt something in her chest constrict at the memory of who she was talking about. Those people who were dead in her time, long gone. There was no way to reach them. And she didn't know if she ever wanted to.

* * *

Curiosity was a bad thing, wasn't it? Kagome stepped outside and felt this unusual urge to go to Ishiguro Shrine. To see Maiko? Maybe, but really, it was to know more about the mysterious fire. Three people dying, and only one living, sounded odd for these circumstances. So when she took out her cellphone and typed in the shrine name, the articles from various local online news sources did show there was a fire.

"_It started in the room of the shrine maiden, who was not in there. Some say her brother started it."_

"_The girl survived but many of her organs were damaged in the process. She was found clutching her brother's corpse with multiple broken bones."_

"_The shrine was never put up for sale. No priest was ever contacted to replace her. The shrine will probably be sold off once the shrine maiden dies."_

The depressing headlines made her see just how tragic the entire affair was. Maiko couldn't possibly be expected to shoulder these burdens forever. But it was a lot like Kagome, who had lost her family.

She walked outside, settled under the Goshinboku, and held her phone close. Somehow, leaning against the tree that meant so much to her throughout her life gave her some comfort that nothing else did. Home was here, after all. If Inuyasha was leaning against the tree on the other side.. Would he feel her presence?

_I know Inuyasha didn't hate me. But he also didn't love me like he loved Kikyo. So me being away means I'm the only one who is alone. Everyone is happy now.. I should be too, right?_

Right.

"Ow—what in the—" she peered down at her elbow, at the spider along it. The furry back made her skin churn. She brushed it away and stood up, a few steps back. Her breath staggered when it seemed to turn and crawl away. She didn't understand why she was seeing so many of this unusual species here. They never had a spider problem before. For some reason, she hadn't felt good since that shrine visit.

Maiko at the window, Maiko looking as if she was too sick to survive, but somehow managing to hold on. Something about the pale girl reminded Kagome of someone else..

Kikyo?

She chanced down at her phone, and then at an unusual picture of Maiko on one of the pages.

_How is she surviving when her lungs and her heart don't function? Medical miracle? And how did those scars and burns disappear? Something isn't right, and the government needs to look into this. - JXCORVUS_

* * *

How many ways were there in which someone could survive when their insides were destroyed? Kagome found none in all of her medical texts. Maiko was a living miracle, if not a little creepy. She definitely should have died. Nothing about her current condition should allow her to walk and live the way she was. She was a firm believer in medicine, but something about this felt less like medicine and more supernatural. It could be a miracle, but more often than not, as it was when she was in the Feudal Era, this could be someone else helping her.

Kagome knew she had no ties to Maiko anymore, but her curiosity and her concern for the other girl extended well beyond just being a friend. She was a nurse, she had a conscience, and she wanted her to be well. If, even somehow, she could use her purification abilities to help Maiko, she would. She could heal her, or even see what was inside of Maiko.

How many years had it been since she was Kagome the Priestess's Reincarnation and not just Nurse Higurashi? The distinction was painful. She didn't even know if she could still do it. So reading over some sites on awakening spiritual abilities, she wandered back over to the shrine. Ishiguro Shrine looked worse in daylight. There was just no reason to live here. She could see a business establish an apartment or a complex here, but not a shrine. It didn't help that Higurashi Shrine was one of the more popular shrines now. Kagome could see how the fire ravaged everything. Nothing was left alive at the end of it. How did Maiko survive after jumping from the second floor of a building, carrying a child, with her own serious burns?

No answer really made sense. Only the one that tied to the Feudal Era did. Kagome knew when something didn't belong in her world, full of science and medicine, so the only remaining option was this one.

_I can do this. I can help her. I'm.. a priestess too. I'm Kikyo's reincarnation. I can heal someone's injury. I've done it before. I stopped Naraku. _

Her chanting, her mantra, held her still as she approached the residential house. She knocked on the door, hoping Maiko would be the one to open it. But it was Taro again, and he smiled and let her in. "She hasn't woken up, I'm sorry," he apologized. Kagome shook her head. It's fine, she decided. I'd rather heal her when she isn't looking.

She asked to be allowed up. "I just want to see how she is, I feel responsible," she admitted. Taro nodded and lead her up to the room. When she opened the door, she saw Maiko's resting form under the covers. She was beautiful. True to reports, no scars, no markings. She just looked sick. She hadn't moved from how she was the day before. Taro seemed to want to leave, making Kagome finally confront what she came here to do. She moved over to sit beside her on the bed, and lightly moved her covers aside.

Her hand rested on her cheek.

She inhaled, and tried to find it within her. That source of power that was her spiritual energy. She had enough to make the likes of Naraku scared. It couldn't all be gone now, right?

_Please, Kikyo.. Help me find out what's wrong with her. Help me save her._

She felt a pulse. Around her hand. And then she felt the spiritual energy leave her. It spread around Maiko like silk, covering her. It was the energy she had in the Feudal Era, from Kikyo. The power that made her feel like she was more than useless around Inuyasha and the others. Her incredible abilities healed in the past, found sources of pain and terror. She saw now how much pain Maiko was in.

Inside she went, deep within her. She searched for a source. Fire, family, loss.. all of it. All of this swirled within her, and allowed her to reach into Maiko.

Until she found something wrong.

In her mind, she could hear it – Kikyo's voice. _There's something foul in her. You can't touch it. It was born in her, like I was born in you. If you go too close, it will come out!_

-!

Kagome drew her hand back just as she saw it. Black, purple, dark poison spreading around her. It was familiar, and all at once, too concentrated. She stumbled off of her chair and steps away, hands raised up just as she found Maiko's eyes open, looking up at the ceiling. Her heartbeat was fast. She didn't now what it was. She just knew this was familiar. "I-I.. Wh-what are you?" she asked, in a quivering voice.

Maiko, with dark eyes, looked at her for a moment, and spoke in a voice that almost lacked any tone. "I could ask you the same.. **who are you?**" she questioned.

Kagome couldn't take it. She turned and dashed out of the room. She didn't know what it was, how it was, or when it happened – but something horrible was inside of Maiko. She reached the front door, and without pause, ran out. She could make it home alone. She didn't need to talk to anyone.

What on earth did she see?

As soon as she was near her shrine, she tried to run quicker, and quicker, up the steps towards home. But her feet veered towards Goshinboku. She raced towards it, and as soon as she approached close, she wrapped her arms around the trunk and pressed her cheek against it. Her breath stopped, her eyes closed, and she felt tears of fear and frustration down her cheek. In one second, she had no idea who the girl she'd seen in her childhood was. Maiko was like that before? No, not even a little. Those red eyes, the black hair, it looked like someone else.

Kagome gripped so tightly she felt the wood dig into her skin. Her eyes closed almost painfully. She didn't want to let go, for fear that she was being followed. Evil spirits? Ghost? Or a demon? Maiko was a shrine maiden, so how could she be a demon? Her lips trembled and that sinking sense of fear gripped her.

When she looked down, she saw another spider, skittle away. How many spiders were there?

Spiders, death, and poison. She didn't know how that shrine could be so foul. But it existed, and it was full of negativity.

"Kagome, honey? What happened?" she heard. Her mother approached her.

In all of her time away from home, Kagome had never once felt that kind of fear gripping her. She had no answers for how a shrine could be full of demonic energy, but disguise it so well. What could she do for that girl who was being possessed by a demon?

Kikyo's voice still remained in her mind.

Where could she go for help? Who could she turn to? Her path to the Feudal Era was closed. When she looked over at the building that housed the well, she knew it was locked. She wanted to go back, to help, but she was afraid of confronting the person she was.

Of seeing Inuyasha, and of not being able to love him anymore.

She sunk to her knees, and held onto the goshinboku, until her hands felt raw. At long last, her mother approached her and pulled her into her arms. She could never tell her mother what she saw, but it made her feel weak and injured.

* * *

_I don't know the answer to this. I don't think anyone on the internet does. But if Kikyo had to protect me from what it was that was inside of Maiko, I have to help her too. It's above me.. And the only people that know what to do are in another time._

_I'm scared. I don't want to go back. I don't want to see Inuyasha and to know that he's moved on._

_But if I don't go, Maiko will suffer. She is a good person. She's.. everything that I am, and I want to protect that. If she doesn't survive this, it means I won't either. _

_I don't know what to do.._

_But I do know what Kikyo would do. She would go back if she was me. She would save Maiko. I can't stay here anymore.. I know I have to.._

"Mom, I have to go back."

Her family was shocked. Between hysteric tears, hiding on the couch, and overall feeling more afraid than she had in years, Kagome finally calmed enough to know what was right. "To America?" her mother asked, in a disappointed voice. Kagome shook her head, firmly. "No.. I don't mean there. I mean back, to the Feudal Era," she answered.

To this, her mother looked most taken aback. "Sis, what do you mean? You can't go back, the well doesn't work," her brother said. "Besides, you left forever. Right?"

Sure, she left. But she left for herself. If she was going back now, it was because it was her duty to do it. Inside of her, the sense that protecting Maiko because she was a priestess, helped her make the decision. As terrifying as facing her past was, she knew it was nothing compared to facing the possible death.. possession, of someone who she knew needed saving. Kagome could do this. She had done it before.

"I know. But I have a feeling that I have to go now," she decided. "I have a feeling this is the time. I promise, I'm going to come back. I promise I won't let it swallow me again. But this time, this is to help someone else. I.. I have a feeling that somewhere deep inside of me, someone is helping me.. I'm going to go."

Her mother wiped a tear, and then turned around to one of the closets in the main room. "Will you need it?" she asked, sliding it open. Her old bag, a hiking bag meant for ten day travels, was in there. Kagome forced a smile. It didn't reach her eyes. She knew she was going to regret going, but it was no longer her decision. For some reason, she felt as if she had awakened in her, the feeling of being a priestess that Kikyo had. She felt like that part of her was cemented. She could do this if she put her mind to it.

"Give me the keys to the well house, grandpa," she instructed.

* * *

She slid the key into the door.

Her family watched behind her. She'd asked to go in alone, because she didn't want them to hear her when she failed to pass through. Part of her wished she would. But when she opened the door, consumed a lot of the dust that flew out, she knew there was no turning back. The well was there, the same as ever. A top had been slid over it to make sure nothing could go out, or come back in. She walked over, carefully, and put her hands on the wooden lid. She heard silence around her. Her fingers toyed with lifting it, to no luck. Heavy.

She gave it a firm push. It budged! She pushed a little more, until it slid off entirely and onto the side. A sizeable gap was left in place. She slowly lifted her bag, and tossed it in. Although she didn't hear a sound, she was sure dust came up. Coughing again, she slowly put her leg over. Like that fifteen year old girl who stumbled through the well, she let her leg dangle off, and looked down into the black of the well.

_I wish I could go through. This time, not for me, not for anyone else.. But for my duty as a priestess._

_Please work._

She closed her eyes tightly, and let herself fall.

CRUNCH.


	3. Chapter 3

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Sunlight struck her when she opened her eyes. Where she was lying, she could see that there were vines travelling down the well. In a moment that could have been ironic more than anything, Kagome burst out laughing. Of course, now the well would work. Where she was, she felt bones beneath her, the smell of greenery and the sight of everything she loved as a teenage girl. Moreso than some sort of a job, this felt like a return home. All alone, lying in a well, with what felt like a broken ankle.

She slowly sat up, checked her ankle for damage, and then looked down at well. She was lying on bones. The same bones, maybe more, that she had as a little girl. She felt every bit of the warmth from that old journey to this place as a little girl. She was in a world with no cellphone signals, no technology and no hospitals. This was a world she lived in when she was fifteen, fell in love in, fought in and learned to be herself in. After leaving for so long, she could see why she was so afraid. This was the kind of place where you could die, and not even a statistic would remember.

She knew no one, had no contacts and had to somehow find her way around. She had no bow or arrows, and she barely recalled how to use them. Her only guide was a voice in her head, of the woman who both stole her love and made her life hell for a few years. Kikyo was her only ally, in some ironic turn of events.

Laughing slowly, she managed to stand up, turn her ankle to make sure nothing was damaged. She could see how she needed to climb up, but felt oddly weak about it. How was she going to see anyone? Hi, guys, I'm back? What if no one remembered her?

She had to do this. She could ask, find a solution, then leave forever. It was quick, and there was no need to see **Inuyasha** at all. _He probably isn't even here anymore.. I don't think he'd remember me anyway. _Kikyo was his love, Kagome was someone he tolerated.

Realistically, she only needed to see Kaede, maybe Miroku and Sango, and then go help Maiko. It was her job, not Inuyasha's.

She gripped a vine and started to climb up. Thankfully, her track pants were comfortable. She'd chosen a pair of track pants, her puma tee, and a sweater overtop just in case. She could easily avoid knicks and scars this way. Unlike her fifteen year old self, who wore skirts to seem more feminine, she didn't need to. She just needed to do her job and go. She managed to make it to the top, swung her leg over, and flinched from the ankle pain. She could deal with it – a sprained ankle was nothing. When she was up, she looked over the distance at the Goshinboku, now at least five hundred years younger, and couldn't help but look at the way it stood before her.

The first test of her ability to be here.

She took slow steps, one, two, three, until she was standing before it. Her lips thinned into a weak smile. "I can do this," she said, to herself. Encouragement was the first step. She didn't reach out for the tree, didn't linger, but felt somewhat protected when she could see it. Inuyasha wasn't here either, but at least their time together was. She could protect herself now because of how much she'd learned, at least to some extent.

_How much protection do I need to go from here to the village? I did that so much when I was younger. I'm such an idiot._

But no idiot would be able to confront what she was after so many years. She walked the familiar path, through the dark, emptied forest, until she spotted the village not far away. Kaede's village, and in some part of her mind, she felt herself think that it was _her_ village too. She was Kikyo, after all, even if the other woman had existed around her at some time. Kikyo was a part of her now, and she was guiding her through all of this. Somehow, helping someone who was a priestess too, made the presence of another woman, who had terrified her as a teenager, seem less terrifying. _If I have Kikyo watching over me, at least I know I won't be hurt. I can trust myself to find Maiko's cure here. I just need to see Kaede._

There was enough of a path from the forest to the village – in fact, it seemed as if innovations had helped secure bigger parts of the forest. She could walk without seeing a single vine or shroud on the path. Dirt felt strange to her heels, used to concrete and tarmac now. Her running shoes were perfect for long treks, purchased for hiking with her ex-boyfriend Greg. She could easily be more useful now than she was when she was younger. Maybe not with a bow and arrow, but she was positive she'd be less likely to be hurt this time. As the path winded towards the village, she couldn't help but look around for a red haori, or for a giant sword. No signs of demons or anything haunted her path. It almost seemed as if demons were lessening in the area.

In her own mind, she supposed that in the modern era, demons would have already become so infrequent, that their deaths meant nothing. She had at first tried to find some, but to no success. It seemed as if every demon she knew of had disappeared. She had searched for signs of Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother, but even his name was gone. If anything, she could exist in this world and see that it would stop existing before long. And the more she walked into this village, the more she wanted to savour it. She could see it in ways that fifteen year old didn't. She could saviour the colours, the people, the smiles. She savoured how she felt here. She was going to miss it. She pulled out her cellphone, fully charged, and raised it to let it snap a picture of the village from where she stood. Birds were caught on camera, and the sun shone beautifully on the village.

She smiled, and brushed a finger over the picture. _You'll be with me forever, this time. I won't forget. _Her memories could be digitized now, and not just in her mind. The more she collected from this time, the more likely it was she would never have to come back. Could she risk pictures of people? Yes, no one would see her do it. At worst she could say it was important for her to do it. Who would recognise her? Who would want to help her now? In so many years, she had changed into someone who looked less like the teenage girl she was when she first came here.

Perhaps in truth, she couldn't find it in herself to let go of this place, since it was her home in her teenage years. Love, family and life all started here for her.

She followed the path to the village, feet carrying her lightly, despite her paining ankle. Her bag was heavy, but as it is, it had everything she needed. As a nurse, she could bandage herself. As a young woman, she knew her own limitations. This was different from before where she relied on Inuyasha to do everything for her. This was a place where she would be able to show she'd grown up. The village, with its meadows and small huts, looked every bit like what she remembered. People bustled back and forth, in daily lives. No one turned to look at her, although she couldn't help but hope they did. She felt like a runaway finally returning home, although the bitter truth was she'd been kicked out of her home, and cruelly left to her own devices. This place had left her, and only reopened to her when she needed it to save someone else. Maybe Kikyo brought her back, or maybe she did on her own. Either way, she was here, and she had to do something.

In her mind, she saw Maiko, with those frightening red eyes. She saw pale skin, and thought back to the young woman she had seen written about in so many web articles. A brave, barely surviving woman who might be possessed by a demon. In their modern world, demons supposedly hid in people. Possessions were in all sorts of novels and books. Kagome could have gone to get a priest or a priestess, but she knew the reality of how people removed possessions. These people needed spiritual power. Kagome's was nowhere near enough to do it, when she was frightened of Maiko. She had no idea what all of it meant. Spiders, possession, darkness, flames – and it was all at curious times.

She saw the hut that belonged to Kaede, but it was at last that many noticed her. First shocked sounds at her clothing. She knew she was dressed unusually, even for her teenage standards. Skirts were acceptable but pants – no! Sango had worn her own, but in Kagome's case, she looked too unusual like this. Still, after a moment, some villagers began whispering. She caught the words – and she did not feel shocked.

"_Is it.. is it Lady Kikyo?"_

"_She looks like Lady Kikyo.."_

"_.. Lady Kikyo has returned?!"_

In a way, Kagome had seen her own transformation over time. She tried to avoid thinking about it, but she too found she resembled Kikyo more and more with each passing day. She looked in a mirror and tried to resist the similarities. Kikyo was her in her past life, Kikyo had been a person she met, and now she was starting to feel like her. She resisted saying who she is, if only because she suddenly felt like no one remembered her. But then the whispers changed, as more people arrived. She stood frozen – shocked, surprised? Pleased? There was more to this place than she remembered. More to these people and their infinite love and memories.

"Lady Kagome? Is that you?" she heard. Then they closed in. There was excited mumbling. "Lady Kagome has returned! She's finally come back to us!" another shouted. Soon they all seemed to crowd her, with happiness. They were all so happy, it made her eyes water over. How much had changed now? Six years later and these people still remembered her. Her heart felt warm and her lips trembled. "I-I would like to see Lady Kaede," she asked, in a quivering voice. She didn't want to let this get to her. She clenched her hand in a fist, but took in the crestfallen faces.

A woman emerged, an older one in a brown kimono, and she bowed before Kagome in utmost respect. "I'm sorry, Lady Kaede died last year.. She has been buried with the ashes of her sister," the woman said.

Gone.

Kagome had to stay how she was, entirely still, for the moment that passed. She had dealt with loss, sure. Her friend had an accident and died in university. But this felt different. Something clawed at her chest, raked at her heart, and made her squeeze out her life. She felt tears in her eyes, but held herself together by a string of confidence. "Can.. I please have somewhere to rest? Then I would like to speak to someone about everything," she announced, in a voice that was commanding. She felt like she'd have to tell them what she wanted for fear that her world would collapse should she not. She needed to mourn Kaede, alone. Kaede had been the first one to help her when she came to this world. Kaede's words guided her. Kaede's spiritual strength helped bond her to Inuyasha, literally. Kaede had been like her grandmother, when she had none.

And inside of her, somewhere, she felt more tears. She couldn't explain the unusual urge to cry, save for the fact that it might be Kikyo crying. Kikyo had loved her sister, after all. Kagome had double the reason to cry.

She had been lead to a hut and once she shuttered it, she dropped to the ground and cried for the older priestess who had helped her countless times. "I should have been here to do your last rites," she sobbed, and let her fist hit the ground. "I'm sorry, Kaede.. I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do. Kikyo would have wanted to be here.. I'm so sorry.." She felt even more clearly the influence her past incarnation had on her right now. She let Kikyo mourn through her, let herself mourn, and she thought of Kaede's life. Her long, fulfilled life.

Complex emotions continued to hit her, everywhere she could, until her fist felt bruised from the strikes against the ground. Kagome finally felt sleep overcome her, and her eyes lulled to sleep. She couldn't handle so much emotion, so strongly.

* * *

At long last, when she was ready, she joined the old woman from before in her own hut. Like with Kaede, she was offered some soup. Kagome accepted it, sipped it politely, and tried not to shudder at the taste. "I will not ask your circumstances, Lady Kaede told me you were different when she made me village head," the woman said. "I am Akiko. I would like to offer you any help I can, Lady Kagome. You are the head priestess of this village.. Lady Kaede wished it on her death."

No, she couldn't do that. Kagome wasn't here for long. She just had to find someone who could tell her what she could do for Maiko. Miroku, Sango or even Shippo would have the best ideas. Miroku more than Sango. She had hoped they were in the village, but they didn't rush out to meet her. She had seen even little of Inuyasha, but it was better that way. She didn't want to crumble her own slowly building resolve. She didn't want Inuyasha to find a place in her heart again, at the forefront, when it took six years to put him in the back. Love could wait, but Maiko's life couldn't. "Can you call Miroku and Sango here?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. Akiko seemed to frown, in confusion. She slowly shook her head, unable to understand. "Do you mean the monk and the demon slayer? They left years ago. As did the young fox demon and the half-demon that once resided here," she answered.

The answer made Kagome's heart thump. No one was here. Inuyasha had left. Everyone was gone. No wonder the village seemed so calm. They had all found their won spaces, their own happiness. Kagome had too. No one had stayed where they first met. "Do you know where I can find Miroku?" she asked. "He's the monk. I have to ask something.. Before I go home."

Calling her era home sounded unnatural. But she felt it deep within her. It was home. "He has returned to his village, somewhere north east. If ye would like to visit, I'm afraid we do not have strength to send you all the way there.. but we can arrange to have you travel away from the borders of the forest of Inuyasha."

"Yes, that would be enough, grandma," Kagome agreed, although she felt a little nervous. Travelling alone in a place she had not been to in six years? She knew how to go to Miroku's village, but she was afraid of what she'd meet on the way. At the same time, she thought to herself, she'd been strong enough on her own. She had dealt with this before. All she needed was a bow and an arrow, and she could travel. She had to avoid demons, and she could try to only travel during the day. She could hide in trees, and find other methods of making sure no one would notice her. She had thick sweaters in her bag, kindling tools and even food. In reality, she was prepared for this trek more than anyone else could imagine. She could go.

Before standing, she stopped and looked at Akiko. "I'll rest here for tonight. May I ask for one thing?" she requested. Her politeness was a product of being around the elderly for so long. The old woman nodded. "Lady Kaede's bow.. and some arrows," she asked. "I'll feel protected with them. Kaede was a strong priestess.. And I feel I'll rely on her strength before I reach there."

* * *

At sunrise, she was ready. She took the bow and arrow, and stood beside a cart of hay, with a man who was travelling to the next village to trade. The villagers waved at her as she hopped aboard the cart. She waved back, and almost felt like a fifteen year old again. She smiled, and felt that Kagome with no troubles and worries of the word smiling inside of her. "I'll come back soon, everyone!" she called out, in a voice that seemed only too happy to see them. As the cart rolled away, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of the villagers. It captured them in time, where she could lean back and let her head rest against the straw. Her eyes closed, her lips curled into a smile, and she thought back to when she was with her friends, on this journey. She was alone now, but she had their knowledge.

It was this kind of unusual journey that she'd stepped into when she was a child. Then, her goal was to find the pieces of the Shikon no Tama. Now her goal was to find a solution for a dear person. Both times, she had someone who hated her to guide her. Inuyasha had guided her that time.. this time, she felt like Kikyo was guiding her from within. How else did she have even a little bit of strength to surpass everything? She felt brave.

The fields rolled by, and she was able to see more of this place than she had as a teenager. The trees were beautiful and green. She had been to conservations all over North America but nothing compared to what she saw here. Japan was beautiful in ways no other country was. Peaceful living and harmony swirled in one. She thought to her time, where trees were being replaced by homes and condos. She thought about how the Ishiguro Shrine had been built over a monument of a dead lord's castle from this time. In her mind, she didn't know where it was, because the modern invention of paths and cars made distances so small. All she could imagine was maybe an ancient ancestor of the Ishiguro family, living in the castle. It had to be a peaceful place. What else explained how happy Maiko seemed before, in Kagome's memories.

Family meant happiness. Love meant happiness.

Inuyasha had been happiness.

She looked at tree tops to see if he was there, eyes spotting anything moving. But it was empty. This entire world was Inuyasha-less. She felt good in some ways, but bad in others. If he was gone, what use was there in looking for reminders of him? _I have him in my heart, in every breath I still take. I can't fully remove him.. but at least I've learned to live with him. _

Soon, they approached a thickening forest, and she felt the eeriness of it. A village was not far off, this one smaller and full of poorer people than Kaede's village. The cart stopped there, and Kagome disembarked. Her bag was slung over her back, and her bow in her hand. She missed her bike. In ways, biking would have been quicker. But she would have liked some sort of innovation to bring here. Maybe a scooter. With no fuel.

To save her phone battery, she turned it off and then turned to the village. This time, she recognised the village. If only because she had been here one in her own youth. It was the village before the castle town where Lord Kagewaki once resided. This meant they'd travelled in a direction away from Kaede's village. Although the village was fine, she knew Kagewaki's castle had been cursed.

Kagewaki was Naraku.

Or rather, Kagewaki had been possessed by Naraku.

Kagome did not move from where she stood, although the cart man seemed to go to the village anyway. It wasn't long before the path seemed to break off from where it was, and she was alone. Infront of the village, not far from the castle.

In the back of her mind, she thought about the significance of this place. All five of their lives – hers, Inuyasha, Shippo, Sango and Miroku – had come together here. Naraku had been their joining cause. Killing him for their own individual reasons had been what united them. When Naraku died, their bonds did too. Even if he was no longer physically alive, Kagome knew better than to go to the castle. She knew if she went alone, she could get hurt. Demons dying often attracted even more powerful villains. Kagome would be foolish to go there on her own.

But something else bothered her. She had to think hard, before she decided her best way was to try and map out what was here, in relation to her home. Higurashi Shrine was where Kaede's village is. That meant this was not far. The world here was smaller, and she could see that it was less than a day's trip. If it weren't for so many problems in between, Naraku wasn't far from them at all in the beginning. Kagewaki's castle was really not far at all for someone used to walking this distance.

Kagome's face scrunched up, and then she took out her phone. She had preloaded her google map for her area onto the phone, so even when GPS signals were lost, she could still place things on the map.

Recent places showed. Wacdonalds, the park. She had passed the park not long ago. As night began to loom, Kagome finally found the village – not far from Ishiguro Shrine's location in the modern era. The Lord's Castle that had been taken down for the Shrine was not far from where she stood, a blinking location.

When Kagome lifted her head to look out in the distance, her expression dropped. She took steps back, at the bitter, terrifying realisation. Of course, the beeping locator for Ishiguro Shrine showed, and she could see now what it had to be built over. She didn't know how to feel about it, save that she could almost tell what had frightened her when she went. No matter which era she was in, no matter how long ago it was, the place that existed there was never one of happiness. The shrine had been built over something far more sinister than a demon.

Ishiguro Shrine was built over Kagewaki's castle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

This is the place where there had been five halves, brought together by tragedy itself. In the time where she was fifteen and unable to really grasp what she was doing, Kagome had been the one with the least tragedy to accompany her. She was there because she had been at fault for the loss of the Shikon no Tama. She had to help find it, because no one else could see the pieces. Slowly, they found others who were affected by the Shikon no Tama and Naraku himself. Every time she remembered the people she loved, who travelled with them and ultimately helped end Naraku, she recalled just how dangerous her life had been. She had no idea how much suffering and loss people went through, and the extents they went to for revenge. Even women, like Sango, and children like Shippo, were forced into battle. It was a nightmare, and every time Kagome thought of Kagewaki's Castle, she only thought of that time they went to confront him, and found it was another trap.

Naraku shed so many disguises, ruined so many lives, and this had been his apex for a period of time. For an adult Kagome, this place evoked more of a sense of fear than it used to back then. Standing so far from the village that guarded this dark secret, knowing what she did about what became of it in her time, made her feel even more powerless.

Questions about who would turn that place into a shrine entered her mind. Obviously, the Ishiguro family had to come at some point and build a shrine there. It was sitting empty now, supposedly, after they'd eradicated Naraku's many demons. It was a place where life shouldn't have gone back to.

A sad Kagome thought of Maiko, living where a demon so horrible had devastated so many lives. The entire demon slayer clan that Sango had belonged to, Miroku, Inuyasha and Shippo had all suffered because of Naraku's influence in their lives in some way. Buried there, under that soil, was so much blood and turmoil. But people came along and assumed a shrine would calm that influence. Instead, a fire had erupt and destroyed more lives, taking with it the peace and future of another priestess.

Kagome finally decided the only way forward was to go in the village and see if someone would take her over to Miroku's village. It wasn't far from here, she hoped. She couldn't know the direction, save that it had to be renown for its spiritual energy. Miroku was a real monk, and she imagined the stories of a monk and a demon slayer having children had to have crowded everywhere. Miroku and Sango being in love gave her happy thoughts, enough to be able to go to the village, with slow steps. Her feet were shaky as she approached a villager, who looked up out of surprise. Kagome knew she was dressed unusually, and it worked in her advantage, even a little. Everyone seemed to notice her. She found it easier to talk once she was close to the villager, unintimidated now by the presence of Kagewaki's castle beyond her.

"I uh.. was wondering if you could help me," she asked, as politely as possible. The villager seemed to look at her as if she were a demon. It was a conclusion most people had when she was younger, her clothes now were far more concealing. Still, she wasn't surprised when murmuring started around her. The voices rose until she could hear mentions of calling the town guard. And then there was more mentions of calling the local priestess. Kagome knew she had to explain a lot of things at once. For beginners, she would probably be tied up again, just as she was when she first appeared in Kaede's village years ago. She would have to explain she's a priestess too, give unusual origins for herself. She should have prepared and brought along a pair of red and white hakama, but she'd been to embroiled in being practical. _Oh no.. They're actually calling a priestess. What am I doing to do?_

She took a step back as a crowd formed. Voices rose in unison to call her a witch, then a demon. It seemed as if the wildest conclusions came out at once, and she tried to defend herself. Until another voice beckoned out from outside of the crowd, loud and strong.

"Please, leave the girl alone. She has no demonic energy!" the female voice spoke out. Kagome recognised the voice in an instance. Six years could not change the strong, feminine and yet still commanding voice Sango had possessed. The person who had saved her had to be Sango. As someone pushed through the crowd, Kagome's heart gave a loud leap. But she also thought about why Sango would be here. Shouldn't she be with her children and husband? Shouldn't she be with Miroku?

The tall, muscular woman that pushed through had never gone through childbirth. Kagome was trained now to see signs on a body. She looked the same as she had before, if not even more powerful. Sango was beautiful, tall and easily in stronger shape than she had been when Kagome was younger. Sango had been a year or two older than Kagome, and her age made her taller than she was before. It was apparent that time had been kind on Sango. How did she have time to do these things? How did she manage to fight demons and do her own duties for Miroku? Questions raked her mind, but were pushed aside when she met Sango's eyes.

Kagome's eyes watered over and then she saw Sango's look of shock. Comprehension dawned over the other woman. It made Kagome relieved that someone remembered her, that the appearance she had wasn't so different from herself. It made Kagome cry to see Sango here, finally a real person. Standing where she was, she smiled over at the other _woman_, unable to believe what she saw. "You came back," Sango finally managed, in a voice that was both in awe and happy. Pleasant surprise was what Kagome thought it was. This was real.

She was the one that rushed forward and let her arms sling around Sango. Who had possibly been her best friend, her co-conspirator against Miroku, her solace when she fought with Inuyasha. The slender, powerful woman was the person she had spoken to most about her worries with Kikyo, her need for home. It was as if she'd found her sister again, after so many years apart. When she held Sango close, she could feel the need to cry crawling up her skin. It came out in short sobs, until she felt Sango's grip around her, and felt the older woman letting her know it's okay. _I can't believe it's her.. Sango is here. Sango.._

Pulling away from the hug was hard. Kagome didn't want to, and Sango was in a similar position. When they separated, it was clear they needed to address the crowd of people. Sango helped tell them that she would handle it, and then lead Kagome away to the inn. Apparently, Sango was staying there until she dispatched a demon that haunted this village. The talk leading to the inn was so informal that Kagome was sure that there was more to tell. Kagome knew she had a lot to say, a lot to find out, and she wouldn't know when to shut up. By the time the inn door to Sango's room opened, Sango forced Kagome to sit down. She offered her sake, and then they both seemed content to merely look at one another. Kagome knew Sango looked even more beautiful now. She looked like she'd spent years training herself. Muscular development like this, while remaining lean and agile, was something unachievable by a woman who had children. It was impossible. Kagome had to know how Sango didn't bear Miroku's children. They had been so close before Kagome had left.

"So.. How did you come back?" Sango asked, in a voice that teetered on cautious. "The well didn't work, right? I'm glad to see you, but it concerns me that you didn't come back sooner. Did you.. was it Inu—"

The I word was what her mother called him when Kagome sometimes brought it up. Sango didn't know the codeword, so Kagome could forgive it. She knew the reason why Sango hesitated to mention him. How on earth did someone forget their true love? Kagome had never forgotten him, even though she'd met a new boyfriend, had so many firsts of her life in her new world. Kagome could never forget those amber eyes that haunted her dreams, made her push away Greg when he promised her the world. It was true that he wasn't here, and had no idea she came back, but she'd never, ever let him in on her thoughts. Her hand reached out to Sango's, holding it gently, and then she gave her a smile that said more than it should. Six years could not wipe out the pain in her smiles when she thought of it. "I have a problem, Sango.. I came for help," she admitted. "But it can wait. Where's Miroku? You two had no children..?"

Sango's hand withdrew. The other woman was different suddenly. Kagome hadn't caught on before, but Sango was definitely much more independent. It made no sense. Miroku had been by her side, shouldn't she be dependent on him. "I didn't have his children, Kagome," she said, in a distanced voice. Kagome felt her world upheave a little. "What do you mean?" she asked, in a voice that sounded younger suddenly. Something had changed after all. Sango was not with Miroku. Did he cheat? Did he not want her? Kagome's mind formed these negative ways that were insane and probably a little sexist.

Sango took another sip out of her sake. "I left him, Kagome."

Sango had been the one to move on. The power of those words reminded Kagome of the past. Sango had been so in love with Miroku. As much, if not more, than Kagome had been with Inuyasha. She had dealt with how he was with other women, and become his fiancée. It was the biggest twist of events for Sango to have left Miroku. It was so unlike her. "After you left. I didn't feel the same way about becoming a mother and having children," Sango continued, with another polite sip. "Miroku wants family, I want to rebuild my clan. I can only do that by training other demon slayers. I don't want to give all of my opportunities up for settling down. Honestly.."

Sango finally looked at her, but it was a sad look. Maybe pitiful. Kagome had not been here for this change, and she supposed no one else was, either. This was a Sango who had selected her own destiny, not unlike the women of the modern era who chose to work and forego family for themselves. Deciding for yourself was an important distinction. Kagome could almost feel proud. But she wanted to know what happened to that powerful love that drove Sango to Miroku. Did it die? "Did I ever really love him?" Sango asked, in a voice that sounded unsure. "I saw the way you were with your love.." Kagome knew that was why Sango seemed so sad. To mention an unfulfilled love. Sango had her own. ".. It just didn't seem like love to me, Kagome. I was looking for my strength in someone else, but I really wanted **strength in myself**," she finished. "I can't love someone who wants me to change for them. It was never me. I've always wanted to teach others my strength, show them the path to becoming a _taijiya_.. So when I left Miroku.."

Sango wiped her eyes with her sleeve, the pretty off pink turning dark from tears. Kagome wanted to reach out and comfort her, but she also knew that crying helped. Kagome had patients who cried about their losses. Sango had to cry or no one would know what she felt. "I did it for me, Kagome. And I don't regret it," she finished. Sango's smile was the one Kagome had ached to see for so many years. She lifted her glass of sake – "to your happiness!"—and then swallowed it. They could see that their lives were so different, in so many ways. Kagome had to leave hers behind because she had no options, Sango made the choice to leave Miroku behind. In a way, both of them had somehow carved out their own destinies away from those who influenced them. Naraku had changed so much by not being a part of their lives. "Enough about me. What did you do? You look, a lot like Lady Kikyo now," Sango admitted.

Kikyo was Kagome, in a way. Kagome could tell she looked older now. She was matured, and she'd been through a lot. "I've learned so much, I'm basically going to have this amazing job! I found a boyfriend, I'm happy," she said, in a voice that didn't sound like it believed itself. Sango's awkward congratulation was jut as unbelieving. How did you go from being madly in love with Inuyasha to this? It was nothing like Sango, who was happy as she was. Inuyasha was the one, and Kagome had to settle for Greg at some point. "What happened to everyone else? How is Kohaku?" Kagome asked, trying to move the subject along.

She truthfully ached to see Inuyasha, but wouldn't be able to. It was better not to bring him back into her life.

Sango instead seemed to finally realise something more important was at play. "Why did you come back, Kagome? It's dangerous here. This village isn't a nice place," Sango asked. Her concern was so genuine, it made Kagome feel safe again. Kagome smiled, leaned back and exhaled. "Well.. I came back to Japan from the place I went to study, and went to visit a shrine nearby.."

She explained all of it. Maiko's sickness, how she went to visit her to see how she was doing. "But when I went to help her, she seemed.. Not normal," Kagome explained. She omitted the part about Kikyo telling her it was something inside. No one had to know that she was hearing Kikyo's voice. Hallucinations were never good things. If Kikyo was really still with her, guiding her, it was better not to let her become the forefront of this. "Sango.. it's like she was possessed. I couldn't help her. A priestess, possessed by a demon, in my time, is so unusual," Kagome explained. She didn't want to seem afraid, but in her mind, she saw those red eyes looking at her, and the question of who she is. Maiko had to be possessed. There was no other explanation for it. "When I came back here, the elder looking after Kaede's village helped me come here. I used my GPS—uh," awkward pause, a search for the right words. "I used one of the things from my time to locate where Ishiguro Shrine is in this time. It's Kagewaki's Castle, Sango.. They built the shrine over the castle."

Her words were confirmed with Sango's ghastly expression. She eventually seemed to swallow the information. "I think we need to go see Miroku," Sango agreed, in a voice that sounded more and more as if it was in shock. "I can't help, but maybe he can give you a talisman to help. Any demon that survives five hundred years is more powerful than Naraku. To possess someone within a shrine is the work of a demon at high levels.."

Both girls seemed even more defeated when Kagome could admit that she was in over her head. Maiko's predicament was worse than she had ever thought. Sickness, possession and tragedy loomed over Maiko in ways that echoed what Sango had gone through.

When Kagome was brought over a futon, she lied down and looked up at the dark ceiling. Sango was beside her. It felt like they were teenager again, although Sango had always been too mature to be just a teenager. Their different upbringings showed in those times. Now, Kagome could relate to the other woman. "Maiko had a younger brother, too," Kagome said, in the empty dark. She pulled the blanket up to her chest. Sango seemed to turn to face her, listening now. "He died in the fire. She jumped out of the second storey to try and save him.. And he died in her arms. The caretaker said it hurt her to lose him.."

Sango seemed to melt then. She heard the audible sigh. "Kohaku is alive, but I held him too, when he died," Sango admitted, in a voice that still held the pain of six years ago. Naraku had wrenched Sango's entire family from her. Kagewaki's castle had been the place where a spider demon slaughtered an entire clan of _taijiya_, and where Kohaku had his fateful showdown with Sango. They had been manipulated to their deaths for the shard of the shikon no tama that Sango had found. The loss of Kohaku, the gift of his life, and his torture throughout it was something Kagome remembered all too clearly. "I can't imagine her pain.. But I know you do," Kagome whispered. "I can only imagine one type of pain.. And it's not the same."

"Your pain, Kagome. I felt it. I still feel it every time I see you. You loved so deeply. He hurt you so much. I wish I could help.. We hoped you'd found happiness in your world. But I know nothing will ever end pain that deep. And I'm sorry," Sango whispered back.

They drifted off to sleep, but for Kagome, she thought of _Inuyasha_. Of his red haori, and of him pinned to the goshinboku, forever there to rest until his death. She thought of how he looked so peaceful asleep. She thought of the life they almost had. She thought of him loving Kikyo, even when she died. She thought of everything except about Maiko, because she could never really move on from the life she had.

Sango had left her love willingly, but Kagome wished she had that choice.


	5. Chapter 5

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

It took her time to accept what Sango had said to her, amidst drifting off to sleep. She knew coming to this time again would mean being told, time and time again, that she'd lost Inuyasha. She knew all of these things would bubble to the surface, but she had no idea it would be this bad. Inuyasha did not love her, and Inuyasha had chosen Kikyo over her, even after Kikyo died. In Kagome's modern mindset, it was better to let him go. She didn't want to be the second choice. But the part of her irrational, fifteen year old mind said that it shouldn't have been that way. Inuyasha should have loved her.

In every second of her sleep, she tossed and turned and went over those moments in her past where she thought she had him. When Inuyasha held her, when he kissed her, when he called out for her in agony every time she was close to dying. Her world was lost in Inuyasha, and she thought she'd extracted him enough to live without him. How did she live without the person she had come to love more than life itself? Sango chose herself over Miroku, but Kagome wanted the choice. She wanted to say no.

In the middle of the night, she sat up, breathing heavily. Sango slowly sat up and asked her what was wrong. She couldn't say what ran through her mind at this time of night. Inuyasha wasn't here, and he should never know she was here. When she moved her hand to her sweater, she made up some excuse of it being too warm, and tugged the puma sweater off. It dropped to her side, ready for the morning. Turning onto her side, she tried to look away from Sango's prying eyes. Inuyasha's love was no longer available to her. She had to accept the reality of his having moved on. Inuyasha and Kikyo were somehow more connected, even after her death, than Kagome had been during her time with him. It was impossible to tell someone else how much she missed him.

Fingers and feet, hand gripping her head and finally she tried to doze off. She heard Sango lay back down, but she had a feeling the other girl was just as disturbed as her. "Sango?" she asked. Her response was her name called back. "What's on your mind?" she asked again.

"I just remembered how we first met, that's all," Sango said, in a careful voice. "You know.. Kagewaki buried me in his castle, and when I was alive, he told me Inuyasha was the one who killed my clan.." Her voice dropped low. Memories of that time were fresh for Kagome, too. She remembered Inuyasha's first terrifying matchup with Sango, where an injured Sango was powerful enough to throw Inuyasha off his guard. She had been so furious about Kohaku and her family. Naraku manipulated everyone, until his very end. Kagewaki's castle held the most negative feelings for Sango. To think she decided to create more _taijiya_ over having children, all because Naraku killed her family. Kagome turned around to face Sango, who was already facing her with a contemplative frown. "Have you ever thought about how ironic it is? You found me here, where I tried to hurt all of you in the past.. And I was **the last one** to join all of you.. I wonder what the _kami_ are trying to do to us now," she ended off, in a voice that dripped of anxiety.

Kagome thought maybe this was some sick way of making her see how wrong she was for trying to help someone. Maiko was why Kagome was here. Kagome didn't know much about Maiko, save for the fact that Maiko was not like that as a child. Whatever was wrong with her, it was spiritual. She had to come here to fix it. "My friends in _my new home_, in the United States, would have said the stars aligned and brought me here," Kagome answered, in a whisper. "But I think this was a way for fate to help me choose my destiny.. I always thought I wasn't a priestess. But now, I know I have to be. Saving someone's life will help me know I belonged here, and I made a difference.. I guess, a little like you."

Sango smiled at her, a warm, welcoming smile. Nighttime couldn't hide the warmth in the other girl's eyes. "You know, Kagome.. Even if you look a little like Kikyo, you look more like you than anything," Sango responded. "You're kind, you're strong, and you have hope. I know you'll save your friend."

_My friend.._

It was a strange word to describe Maiko, who Kagome knew so little about. Sure, she knew about her from various newspaper reports and online suspicions. But Kagome didn't know her personally. To do so much for a stranger was so typical of her. Kikyo wouldn't have helped a stranger. It made her cheeks light up to know she was still the same girl from six years ago who had tried to help everyone here, even strangers. In ways, no one would take away her own personality from her.

Maiko was going to be saved, even if it hurt Kagome in the process. It was what made Kagome, Kagome. With a happy smile, Kagome turned away and closed her eyes.

But when she did, she could see a red haori. And she could see amber eyes. It dazzled her that even in her deepest sleep she still saw Inuyasha, who abandoned her long ago for Kikyo. In a way, she wanted to have someone understand her pain too. Everyone suffered heartache, but most people didn't know how heavily love could run into someone. Kagome loved Inuyasha over a long period of time, over sweet moments and hard battles. Many people thought love was fleeting, but it lasted six years. Six years after she had last seen him, she was still the little girl who loved his every footstep and every smile. She had a boyfriend, but it was nothing like Inuyasha, who probably still loved Kikyo enough to wander the world aimlessly.

She thought about it, and then she asked, more carefully than ever. "Sango.. How did you know Miroku wasn't the one?" she asked. Sango let out a hm, and then she heard shuffling under the futon beside her. She turned and found Sango had turned away from her. There was obviously pain in the way Sango spoke, in the way she reacted. Miroku had probably not been a subject she wanted to talk about for a long time. Most people would be surprised to know how much Kagome, as a nurse, could read emotions and actions. She was trained to know pain better than anyone else. Sango's pain was deepset. "_Hoshi-sama_.. was always around other women, Kagome," Sango said, in a voice that dripped in the same loneliness as Kagome. The only difference was, Kagome had heard this loneliness before. Six years ago, before Kagome went back to her time forever, she heard it every day for three years. Miroku was a womanizer, and he asked every woman to give birth to his children. Kagome had seen how he did even after they were engaged. In truth, Kagome had been so busy in her own life that she never once questioned how Miroku suited Sango.

Sango was every bit the dignified but powerful woman that Kagome sometimes associated with Kikyo. Both women who could fight on their own. Miroku didn't even give Sango the dignity of being just hers. "After you left, and most of the harmful demons were gone from Kaede's village, he wanted me to bear his children immediately," Sango continued. Kagome pictured it – Miroku just wanting children. It was every man's mindset in this time. But Sango seemed to be different from other women right now. Kagome could see why she chose her own path. Like a Fa Mulan who isn't from Disney, almost. It made her smile a little, although she could hear the sadness in Sango's voice.

Did she still love Miroku?

"I couldn't do it, Kagome.. when I looked at Kohaku, who still suffered and couldn't perform properly because of what he's been through, I knew that we needed more demon slayers," her friend explained, and she heard the way her voice changed. Sango's decision had been one from duty, and from inside of her. Like Kagome, who came here for her duty, and Kikyo who died for hers six years ago, they were all bound by it. "I thought about it, Kagome.. I don't know if I still love him, but I do know that I couldn't live with myself if I gave up my entire life for someone who had no respect for me in the first place," Sango concluded. She turned back around to look at Kagome, mustered up what looked like a confident smile, but the tears in her eyes were the ones Kagome feared most.

No one was happy after Naraku. Sango lost Miroku. Love had not been something powerful enough to keep them together. "I was the first one to go, to be honest.. I don't know what he has been doing, but he is at his family temple.. And when we go to see him, we will be no different than two comrades," Sango added. But Kagome feared that love would hurt Sango too. Enough that her voice was caught in her throat. "D-Do you know if he had kids?" she asked, in a choked voice.

In her mind, she was laughing at herself. Only Kagome would be upset over someone else's love story. Sango had been married, in her mind. Little did she know, her friend chose the life of unmarried as well. She chose herself. "I really have no idea.. I have kept track of everyone from a distance," Sango admitted. But when Kagome let out a yawn, Sango broke out into a genuine smile.

"Let's get some sleep, Kagome. I'll tell you more tomorrow."

"Good night, Sango!"

* * *

Morning came quickly. Kagome found her alarm going off on her apple watch without her even intending for it to. She turned it off, sat up, and watched Sango's shock at the sound. "It's called an alarm! I use to wake up, don't worry!"

The basic mechanisms interested Sango so much, Kagome vowed to bring her a watch if she could visit again. One with a better lifespan and battery. She almost hoped this wouldn't contaminate her friends too much. She helped Sango pack her things – many different items, and then the other girl slipped on her kimono. Kagome remained in what she was wearing the night before, despite how uncomfortable it might have seemed. "Your clothes have changed, too.. It reminds me of my Taijiya outfit," Sango commented.

It was so far from the taijiya outfit that Sango wore, but Kagome didn't want to explain it. Now that she ran every morning, did weight training and learned to tone her body, she knew that her old school uniform hindered her. Like Sango likely understood, a thin bodysuit provided the most speed and resilience. Kagome was someone who lived for being the best version of herself, and seeing Sango acknowledge it made her cheeks light up. She waved the other woman off, although her smile never ceased. Sango was probably the most fit, most active woman Kagome had ever met. If she could be even a little bit like her…

_I have so many people to look up to here. Sango.. even Kikyo, who Inuyasha loved more than me. I have all of these great women to see as people who could influence me. I wonder if someone will ever see me the same way too. No one here would find me impressive, but in my era, they did._

She made sure her bow was over her back, with the sliver of arrows, and then managed to sling her bag over her back too. "Kirara isn't back yet from scouting to the west. We have to travel by foot," Sango explained. The mention of Kirara reminded Kagome of the little kitten, the demon _neko_ that transformed into a powerful demon neko. Sango and Kirara were the closest of allies. In many battles, their partnership far exceeded everything. Kagome had almost forgotten Kirara..

She followed Sango away from the village, both carefully headed in the direction of Miroku's temple. Kagome found that the road was a little wearisome. She hadn't done this in years, and not having a nice paved road made everything difficult. But the more she walked, the more she felt her younger self return to her. In little bits, she felt the younger Kagome in her footsteps, in her hand gestures. She could almost feel the same wind she felt as a teenager. But this version of her, older and more mature, didn't come here because she loved Inuyasha. She was here for someone else.

Kagome's mind showed her the pale, sleeping features of Maiko. The woman who was her age, who had been through just as much tragedy as everyone else. She didn't even know how much of this was possession. "I think its not far once we reach the next village.. But, I think it's fair to tell you, Inuyasha may be there, Kagome," Sango quickly added.

Her words did far more than strike Kagome with fear. She stopped in her steps, and let her hands clutch into fists. She looked ahead, but she was already looking back. She knew being here would mean the risk of seeing him was much more vivid, much higher. But she didn't think it was so high that it would happen so soon. Inuyasha was the reason she had moved, cried night after night, thought love was a loss for everyone. Inuyasha had been her world for years, and it took her six years to let him go. Seeing him again would test her strength. "He visited Miroku.. not so long ago. If you want to stay away, I understand," Sango continued. The other woman turned to her, placed a warm hand on Kagome's shoulder. But nothing could keep Kagome from not looking as sad as she felt.

Inuyasha might be there.

"I can go and explain everything to Miroku. I don't mind," Sango went on, but her word fell on deaf ears. Kagome was thinking of him, and the possibility of what she would say to him. How could she even show her face to him now? He chose a memory over her. He chose solitude over her. Kikyo over Kagome. She couldn't face the lost love she tried so hard to forget.

_I still love him. I still love him so much that I'll break down if I see him._

_I'm not ready for this. _

_I don't want to see him._

Rejection, heartbreak and fear came hand in hand for Kagome now. She could live a life in blissful blindness if Inuyasha was far away from her. Inuyasha being here was more damaging to her than helpful.

Inuyasha was the name that never left her mind.

* * *

**FIVE YEARS EARLIER**

(italicized quotes in past sequences are English, regular is Japanese)

"_Kagome – hey, wake up! What the hell are you doing?!"_

Kagome's eyes flew open, and she stared up at her friend, in what felt like surprise. Her hand moved to her forehead, fingers pressed into her temple. She had the dream again. She was immobile, against a tree, with soul eaters surrounding her. Kikyo close to Inuyasha. Kikyo's eyes on her.

Kikyo letting her know that she still had Inuyasha's heart. Kikyo was his duty, Kikyo was his first love. Kagome was a girl who sometimes looked like Kikyo, and sometimes had Inuyasha's attention. But Kikyo was more important.

Their lips came close, and Kagome was in pain. Not physical, but the tears down her cheeks at the sight of Inuyasha falling for Kikyo made her all the more aware of her own weakness. Inuyasha loved Kikyo.

A nightmare, not a dream.

Her eyes were red, and her friend _Annie_ stared at her in shock. Kagome brushed away tears under her eyes, and in what felt like the thickest Japanese accent, told her, _"No, I am fine."_ No one would believe her if she told them what hurt her every night. It wasn't as frequent now, but she thought back to him every so often. _"Just stress from moving,"_ she added.

Annie badgered her, kept asking. But Kagome could never say it was him. Annie who became her best friend, who helped her go on her blind date with her first real boyfriend. Who taught her to embrace life. Annie was the first one to notice Kagome was running from someone.

* * *

"I have to go, Sango.. No one else really can get to Maiko.. I have to hear it myself," Kagome admitted, when she finally felt like she could speak. She thought back to America, to her friends, and it helped her see he might not be there. If he was, she could just ignore him. She could pretend. Or she could run away again.

She had a long life to go back to. She had to save Maiko, who had no idea what was happening to her. Really, no one here did.

Sango's concerned look did not help. But Kagome gave her a smile, and started to walk ahead of her. Miroku was Maiko's last hope. No one else would know how to help her. And Kagome couldn't let Maiko down. Inuyasha had to be gone from there.

He would smell her and run away.

Kagome didn't smell like Kikyo, so he could recognise her.. right?


	6. Chapter 6

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

They walked forever, and ever. By the time they came past a third village (two more than what Sango originally suggested) two days had passed by. They'd stayed at campsites, where Sango said they needed to sleep lightly for fear of too many demons nearby. Overall, it seemed like Miroku's home was further and further away. It wasn't until the third night that the sight of a village, closed off by walls, with a Buddhist temple, came into view. Unlike Kaede's village, that had a Shinto shrine, Miroku was a Buddhist monk. His temple had to have Buddha within it.

Kagome found it especially unusual that they melded together so well. When she was younger, religion meant so little to her. But having been around so much Western culture, she found it nice and refreshing to see a Buddhist temple again. Rain pelted them as they approached, but at the final stretch, Kagome felt a burst of energy, and anxiety.

Was Inuyasha here? Or did he leave already? What if he came after her, asking why she dared to return? So many questions surrounded Kagome. But the most important one only came to her when she looked at Sango.

Really, Sango was about to see her former lover too. Miroku and Sango were engaged. Miroku could have children with another woman by now. Or worse, he could still be a womanizer. Regardless of what he was, Sango was looking forward. She had plans for her life, and she already knew what she wanted. She was going to confront Miroku for Kagome's sake. It meant more to Kagome than she could ever voice. Kagome managed to put on a face of confidence, knowing that regardless of what happened to her now, she'd find a way to help her friend. This world had mysteries and spells that beat out every western movie she ever watched. Someone had to know how to help Maiko.

They soon found other villagers within the temple grounds. Women and children. Life had returned here in six years. Kagome saw the way Sango was approached, with the reverence of a demon slayer. Sango was, after all, a powerful looking woman. Kagome meanwhile, received stares that seemed more fearful than necessary. Kagome looked like a witch, or worse, a demon. Her attire now was just as bad as before to conservative villagers. Maybe a miko's hakama wasn't a bad idea after all.

When they stepped close to the temple building, the sound of a bell rung through the air. Sango was the first to push open the doors. Her hands were red from gripping together. Kagome peered around the inside of the temple, until her eyes landed on a lone figure near the altar. In purple robes, older now, but still fit looking. The man turned around, revealing tired eyes and marks on his face, but nothing to hide the youthful features of a man in his mid twenties.

Miroku, or _hoshi-sama_, as many called him, still looked like Miroku.

But his look at Kagome was one of confusion. He peered at her extra long, then at Sango, only stopping once he saw Sango's firm stare. His mouth opened, the word Sango escaping his lips. But Sango's hand flew up to stop him. "I don't have time for this, _hoshi-sama_. Please lead us somewhere we can talk privately. My friend has an important matter to discuss with you," Sango added, in a suddenly cold voice.

She sounded devoid of emotions. Kagome could hear the strain to keep from sounding hurt. Miroku, as he was, looked like he'd aged more than Sango. He looked older somehow. Life had been draining on their friend. But Kagome understood Sango's pain. Miroku was her first love. She was being especially strong by confronting him for Kagome's sake. Kagome had no idea how much they'd met since parting, but it was clear it hadn't been enough for either of them to warm up to each other again.

Miroku nodded, but his eyes never once moved to Kagome. They remained on Sango. Kagome could see why. There was a lot between them that didn't need words to convey. He couldn't say what he wanted to. And he probably had no idea what to say anyway. Kagome felt like an awkward third wheel in the situation. She didn't want to arouse any emotion between them, given how their lives were separated. In a few short hours, she could go home and continue her life too. Things would go back to as they were now. Miroku the monk, Sango the demon slayer, would never have to meet again. But for the time being, they had to talk.

Rekindling this love was not a good idea.

Kagome followed Miroku, Sango beside her, outside of the temple. A house had been built to house the monk. The doors were opened, revealing a neat but sparse interior. When he lit a candle, indicated for a space for them to sit, only Kagome sat down. Sango remained standing, with her arms over her chest. Miroku finally took a good look at Kagome, and then it dawned on him. His face brightened, mouth opened in a shocked expression.

"Kagome.. is that you?" he asked. When she nodded, she felt Miroku immediately pull her into a hug. She wanted to hug back, wanted to show she missed him too. He had been one of her friends, and he had been an ardent protector of the group. Miroku was destined to die, and he travelled with them to avenge the _kazaana_ in his palm. To see him alive now, felt more warming than anything. Miroku didn't even seem to touch her anywhere wrong. Instead, when he squeezed her in a hug, and separated, he also went to sit on the floor. The Miroku before them didn't appear to be a lecher. Instead, he appeared to be a monk.

"I'm sorry if we're disturbing you, Miroku," Kagome began. "Nonsense! I wish I'd known you arrived sooner. I would have come to Kaede's village myself," Miroku added. His voice had a spark to it that had been missing when he was trying to talk to Sango. Had they fought when they separated? Did Miroku try to win her back? Or did he know what she wanted was more important?

Kagome was about to speak, but a voice shrieked from another room. Kagome turned in time to catch a little boy with violet eyes and black hair come running out of a room. Her shock was momentary. But when she looked at Sango, the shock there was more one of pain than of anything. Miroku looked like the boy..

When the boy climbed into Miroku's lap, Miroku allowed him to remain there. "This is my son, Sanyu," Miroku said, but it was to Sango. It was to her looking at the child in a way that would remain engraved in everyone's minds. Miroku had a child. Miroku had a child with another woman. Kagome had feared it, but she knew Sango had no idea either. She imagined Sango avoided finding out in every way possible. Miroku's son looked like him, but he had innocent eyes, and big cheeks. "Where is his mother?" Kagome asked. She knew Sango had to hear this, too. The other girl had been avoiding these questions forever.

Miroku's grip around Sanyu tightened. "Koharu died during childbirth," Miroku admitted. This had been the first time Kagome saw Miroku return to the solemn, distant look he had before. He had a wife, too. Koharu sounded familiar, but Kagome couldn't place the name anywhere. All she imagined was Miroku finding a wife once Sango said no to him. This child looked around three, if not four. Miroku had his son long after he and Sango parted ways. Life went on for Miroku, too, who found what he needed in the world.

When Sanyu began to shuffle, Miroku let him go. He seemed to stand, briefly stare at Sango, and then run out to his room. Silence fell once again. "Sango, I.." "It's none of my business, _hoshi-sama_. Kagome is the one who wanted to speak to you. I came to escort her here," Sango added in, coldly.

Kagome wanted to run out of the room. The awkwardness was swallowing her up. But she kept looking for something else, especially since she knew Inuyasha had been here before. He was gone now. Did he come to see Sanyu? Did Inuyasha keep up with his friends? Why had she been cut loose when they stayed?

_Focus. He's not here. You can help Maiko. Inuyasha isn't important. He's not even a part of my life. Once I leave this era, I won't be able to see any of this again. Not Miroku, not Sango, not Sanyu and not Inuyasha._

_I must move on, too. I must be like Sango. Love doesn't happen the way I thought it did when I was younger._

"I uh.. Basically.. Let me explain.."

* * *

The atmosphere seemed to darken as she explained everything. Her discovery of Maiko's temple, what happened to Maiko, the way she behaved when Kagome visited her, and finally Kagome discovering where the shrine was built over. Every word just made Miroku's face drop more and more and more. She felt it from Miroku and Sango. This was something beyond all of them. In another era, dealing with a demon powerful enough to cling to another person. Kagome was sure that Miroku could feel the seriousness of a _miko_ being possessed. Who had power to do that to someone?

"I see.. I don't know. I have to look through the scrolls to see what can be done, if this indeed is a demonic possession," Miroku commented. But it was his shaking voice that revealed he was nervous. Was it because Kagewaki's castle was involved? Kagome felt it too. Kagewaki had Naraku's influence possessing him until his death. Naraku took Kagewaki's castle and his identity. To have to return to that place, in her own time, meant confronting what Naraku did.

Kagome was already feeling nervousness enter her. Could she do this alone? Were her spiritual powers strong enough to help Maiko, if it came down to that? What did Kikyo's voice, in her head, mean? She hadn't told any of them what Kikyo had said to her.. But she suspected it had been the voice of her predecessor warning her.

Maiko was in a dangerous space.

Miroku stood up, and finally called over another monk, who appeared to go to a room. "Please, rest for tonight. I'll go look for something that might help your friend, Lady Kagome," Miroku added. Sango looked as if she wanted to protest, but Kagome reached for her arm, and held onto it. For Maiko, Kagome could calm Sango down. For Maiko, she had to stay.

A solution had to be found here.

* * *

Night fell even thicker around the temple. Sango, unable to sleep, went outside and settled against a tree. It had been months since she had a comfortable bed like this. But she found herself unable to really accept seeing Miroku. In six years, she had avoided even a mention of Miroku. What he did, who he was with, were none of her business.

_I can't help the pain that comes with knowing he found another woman.. But it shouldn't matter to me. I chose my life. I don't want children. Good for him._

She curled her arms around her knees and rested her forehead against her knees. Her eyes only lifted when she heard Miroku's voice beckon to her. When she met his gaze, it had more pity in it than anything. Miroku was not the same man she had left years and years ago. This Miroku was an adult who had a boy, who had a wife that died. Miroku was unable to really and truly be hers now. She had no choice but to accept that this was for the better. She had to move on from the unfulfilled love she had for him. It meant she could finally be the demon slayer her family needed her to be.

"I'm sorry.. I should have told you before," he said, in a voice that dripped of a different sadness. Before she could retort, he sat beside her. He didn't sit close, but he did release a sigh. His hands held three scrolls, all of which looked exhausted from use. "I didn't love Koharu, but I needed a child, and she needed a home. Now Sanyu is the most important thing in my world," Miroku continued on. "—I don't really care, _hoshi-sama_. I have things to do, I have a village to rebuild-!" Sango began.

But Miroku's hand lifted, and he gave her a serious frown. "Then can we please be _friends_? I'm old, Sango. I'm tired. I've had a rough life. You've avoided me for a long time now. Inuyasha came and tried to convince me to talk to you. He thinks this has gone on too long. We aren't enemies.. So why am I being treated as if I am?"

Silence fell again. Sango finally relaxed her posture. She didn't speak for a while. She wouldn't warm up to him, but she did know how important it was for them to get along. Kagome was in a difficult situation. She came to them for answers. If she let old grudges keep Miroku from helping, it would be for nothing. "Did you find anything in the scrolls?" she finally asked. Her voice had softened, but Miroku knew it would take long to make her warm up to him. "I don't know. In truth, I have found no way to free a demon from possessing a _miko_. Unless she was not a real _miko_, then we may have to send something to draw the spirit out," he explained.

Sango looked forward, lost in thought. Then she finally said what may have disturbed them.

"How do we know it doesn't have to do with Naraku?" she asked. "We don't.. But we need to prepare Kagome in case it is him," Miroku responded. "It might be a good idea to take her North. To the _kitsune demon lord_. If she spends enough time here, re-opens herself to her spiritual energy, she may be able to save her friend."

"Miroku.. Inuyasha isn't here, right?"

"No. He's been gone for twelve nights. He went north. If we travel slow, he should be gone before then."

"Good. I'll prepare for departure tomorrow. You don't have to come along with us.. but if you do, she has a better chance of learning about spiritual energy from you than me."

"I was going to go with you two even if you said no," Miroku answered. "The more I know about her friend, the better our chances of helping her may be."

They remained in silence, until Sango stood to go back to the room she shared with Kagome. In her mind, she knew she would never see Miroku the same again. Even if they somehow became friends, she didn't want to be the replacement for a wife for him.

Her role was a taijiya. Miroku was a monk.

She stopped in her steps, and gazed back at him, the frown on her expression more telling of what she felt inside than any other expression she had made since arriving to the temple.

"I can't forgive you, Miroku. I may not want to be with you anymore, but I'll never forgive having my feelings played with."

When she walked away, he leaned back against the building and released a heavy sigh. His hand brushed over his face, collecting the sweat that built up from Sango's presence. "I don't expect you to forgive me," he said, to nothing. "But I hoped you would try.."

How could he expect her to forgive having her feelings played with? The Sango he saw now was a powerful woman, and she had every right to distance herself from him. He was a father, a monk. He had duties. He wouldn't be able to amuse himself the way he did when he was sure he would die.

It would be a long few days.

* * *

When Kagome woke up the next morning, she found clothes waiting for her. A miko's hakama, folded. She stared at it for a good five minutes, at the careful folds. At the white and red. She felt her stomach churn from the design itself. If she donned this, she would be Kikyo. Kikyo was the priestess who wore this everywhere, who became Inuyasha's lover. She would never wear clothing that made Kikyo more into her than she needed to.

She pushed it aside and slowly retrieved her clothing. Settling it on, she made sure the puma top was comfortable, and then rolled her shoulders. She could go for a practice run, but realistically, they would be walking all day. Kagome didn't want to tire herself out around people like Sango and Miroku, who were probably more agile and physically fit than her. She looked around the room again, taking in how empty it was, and considered Miroku's new life. A father. He probably had so much responsibility now. Kagome had a chance to take a look at Sanyu, and she couldn't help but notice how young he was. He probably had to become a monk once he was finished with his childhood. People in this era grew up fast. The only exception might be Kohaku, who she hadn't heard about yet.

She would never ask, either. Sango wouldn't want to talk about Kohaku. If he was alive, he was in pain.

She wondered where her other friends went. Shippo and Rin, the latter of whom originally planned to stay with Kaede. Did she return to Sesshomaru?

Kagome had no idea what happened. Her life had been so busy, she had never thought about these other people. Inuyasha consumed her thoughts when she did try to remember. It had been easier to push this part of her life aside as a whole. But now that she was here, she wanted to know where they all went. Did anyone else decide to be distant for their own sakes?

She readied herself and found Sango and Miroku waiting outside. Sango, with her pink and white kimono over her taijiya outfit. Miroku in the old purple and black robes he wore when they were younger. Sanyu was standing beside him, in an orange monks robe, nodding his head to instructions Miroku gave. Kagome couldn't help but notice Sango's sad look at Sanyu. _I feel so bad for her.. To have to watch this. But Miroku's been faithful to Koharu.. I wonder if things would have been different if Sango had been with Miroku. I always assumed they'd be together. But.. I never really thought about it._

_Was Sango meant to be with him? Why did we just think she wanted a life like that? How did we think Miroku didn't need time to change? It might have just been that they both needed someone different. Inuyasha and I did…_

She swallowed any remaining thoughts and bound over, with Miroku giving her a warm smile. "Good of you to finally wake up, Kagome. We're going to go north. I think we need an audience with the _kitsune daiyokai_ in order to really find a way to help your friend," Miroku explained. Kagome was confused. A new daiyokai? They'd been north in the past, and there was no daiyokai there. "Why would a demon help us?" she asked. "You didn't find a way to stop possession?"

"I'll tell you when we reach there," Miroku explained. He started to walk. Walking was beginning to become too frequent. It was when he walked that Kagome and Sango noticed the slight limp. His left leg was damaged. Kagome knew the signs immediately, and told him to stop. It looked like a damaged hip. In their time, hips could be replaced. But here, most lived with it. Miroku was living with his injury. "Did you hurt your hip?" she asked, in a confused voice. Miroku kept turned away, but she heard the smile in his voice.

"Sanyu was once attacked by a demon. I saved him, but it left its mark. It's alright though. I'm sure I can make this long journey."

Kagome felt Sango stiffen, if only because of the injury. She looked over at her, taking in the concerned expression. Finally, Sango looked less angry at Miroku. "I'm going to call Kirara back," Sango whispered, to Kagome. "He can't walk all the way there.." "Good idea," Kagome whispered back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

She felt as if she couldn't ask them what happened to everyone else. No one brought up where Kohaku, Shippo, Rin, Sesshomaru and even Koga were. Kagome did think about it, though, and every time she wanted to mention it, the tension between Miroku and Sango hushed her up. It didn't take long for the sound of something in the air to draw their attention away. Kagome peered up in time to catch Kirara, in the same maginificent shape and form she remembered, bounding down infront of them. Kagome almost jumped from the sheer size. Had Kirara grown? No, but Kagome realised this reality had been gone for some time. Kagome hadn't been Kagome here in so long, Kirara looked terrifying.

Sango greeted her playful companion more warmly, while Miroku gave a hesitant pet to her head. It was when Kagome's turn came, that Kirara looked over at her, and seemed to acknowledge who she was. _That's right. Demons can smell me. _She reached out for Kirara, hesitantly brushing her palm over her head. Kirara acquiesced, and let out a low purr.

"Kirara can take us up north, but not into the _daiyokai's_ territory," Sango explained, even as she prepared to leap onto Kirara. The constant question of this daiyokai brought nervousness into Kagome. Why were they visiting someone so dangerous? They had met other daiyokai, more notably, Sesshomaru. Inuyasha's older brother was ruthless and even at the end of their journey, did not seem favourable to be an ally. He had only helped them because of Rin. As it stands, visiting another _daiyokai_ sounded too dangerous. Who had tamed the vicious northern lands enough to rule over it? A feral demon most likely.

Just as they prepared to mount, with Sango and Miroku already ontop of Kirara, Kagome reached out – Miroku's hand offered to her was helpful – and leaped on behind them. But in her mind, she was already worried.

What if they had to fight? Would this demon be as powerful as Sesshomaru?

Did they stand a chance?

* * *

Kirara approached an area and lowered automatically. Kagome could sense the change in area based on how thick the demonic energy was here. She could almost feel something powerful looming around it. It felt like the same power level as Sesshomaru, but it was not carnal. It felt playful, as if to lure someone in. She spotted few signs of this demon but the further she looked into the dense forest, the more she came to realise she was treading something dangerous. If Inuyasha had been here, he may have smelled what kind of demon it was. But Inuyasha was not here, and right now, Kagome had to rely on Miroku and Sango.

She was too afraid to ask questions, and stayed close to Sango out of necessity. Kirara quickly transformed into her smaller, kitten form and leapt onto Sango's shoulder. Kagome could feel the sense of caution in Sango. Miroku, too, seemed more cautious.

They treaded along a path that lead into the demonic aura. "I will caution you, if you see anything unusual, ignore it. Do not approach it, Kagome," Miroku added. He used the staff he had and walked along with them, but the discomfort in his voice made Kagome even more concerned. She had her entire first aid kit in her bag, but she had nothing to heal a broken hip. The damage Miroku had would require a real medical team.

As they went further, she saw what he had meant. Strange vegetation appeared. This _dayokai_ obviously specialized in illusions. She had taken a step forward, when she spotted something at a distance. Fingers gripped Sango's arm tighter, and then the thing in the distance seemed to take a concete shape. Familiarity filled it, and her eyes widened at the silver locks of hair, and the red haori.

Glimmering sword under the sun, that suddenly peaked out from the sky. He turned to look at her, although she could not see his face, she could imagine it. Golden eyes, and fangs poking out of his mouth. She imagined his smile – brave, strong. She couldn't help but release Sango's grip, while the other girl seemed less inclined to look in her direction. She stepped away from them, towards the foliage, where she could see him.

After six long years apart, he would not dare to look at her, but she was drawn to him in an instance. Her hand reached out, aching to touch shoulders that were lean but powerful. She wanted to feel his haori on her cheek when she hugged him. As a teenager she had been so used to this kind of warmth and life. She had thought it impossible to lose it. But he was here, and he didn't look at her.

Her footsteps lead her closer and closer to him. The sun illuminated him wonderfully, until she could almost make out the curvature of his jaw. She could almost touch him, almost reach out to him.

"Inu.. Inuya—!"

As her hand reached out for his shoulder, he faded, and she found herself gripping air. Air leading off into a devastating gorge.

She let out a scream just as she was ready to tumble in. And she heard Miroku and Sango yell after her from a distance. When had she been so stupid to fall for an illusion? How did she fall for one so obvious?!

No time to think. When she went falling down, she gripped the cliff and held onto it with both hands. She had done enough strength training to hold her body up, but she was worried she would grow tired. She yelled out aimlessly for Miroku and Sango, but neither of them seemed to be coming to her. Their footsteps were so far away. Her voice felt raw from holding on for so long. And time ticked by slowly.

It couldn't take this long to come save her.

But she thought back to where they were, and who they were dealing with. A powerful _daiyokai_, who was a kitsune. Trickery had to be a part of everything he did to keep his territory untouched. Sango and Miroku were likely trapped, or she was so trapped she would have to save herself.

_But I CAN save myself. I've done this before. I'm not weak like I was when I was fifteen and here for the first time. I've done everything I can to be at peak condition. I'm both spiritually powerful __**and**__ strong now. I can do this.. I just have to look around.._

Heart beating fast, she looked down at the gorge below. It wasn't a heavy fall. She could spot that in one area, the water was thicker. She could land in there, in a dive, and still survive. It wouldn't be pretty, but she could fix any injuries later. She could just as easily risk climbing up and fall in a position she wasn't ready for. There was better ways to die.

Kagome thought of this being her final moment, but her mind took her back to Maiko. To the younger version of her running in a field with Kagome. There were reasons to live. She would do it for the girl who was suffering. For her **friend**.

Slowly, Kagome prepped herself for the leap. Like in all of her advanced swimming courses, where she dove off of cliffs. She counted to five, took a deep breath, and then moved her feet to the cliff side. She could push off of the cliff and jump. She had to rely on herself to survive. Miroku and Sango needed their strength to escape whatever they were trapped in.

She jumped, with an elegant twist, and made sure she was diving face first. Hands forward, fearful, eyes closed. But still confident and capable.

If Inuyasha could see this Kagome, who leapt off of cliffs and had her own strength, he'd know she was nothing like Kikyo. She could handle heights now.

She could handle hitting a body of water and feeling the aching crash against her skin and bones. She could handle a moment of pain, even though others could not imagine her doing this. In the six years since she had stopped existing in this realm, she realised, as she hit the water and felt every ache ever enter her skin, she had learned to survive here.

Then, the world went dark, but she could feel proud.

No Inuyasha was needed right now. Kagome was enough.

* * *

_(italics _in this memory are English, whereas normal quotations are Japanese)

"_Why would I take swimming lessons? I already know how to swim_," she'd told Greg. Greg gave her a subtle shrug, but signed her name off anyway. His was there, although he was the instructor. _"It doesn't hurt to know how to look after yourself, Kagome_," he commented. His smile was charming.

Kagome looked over at the list, with the different things they'd learn. Cliff diving, treading, and some other things she couldn't imagine doing. She had never thought swimming was so useful, especially in a country like this. Still, when it came to Greg, she wanted any excuse to talk to him more. He reminded her of a cute television model from Japan, although he was decidedly the most American person she knew.

She gave a little shrug. _"I guess it wouldn't hurt. But kickboxing too? It's like you think I'm not in shape," _she teased. To her words, he reached up and rubbed his nose. He was blushing! _"It's not that. I just think that a girl who can look after herself is attractive.. And I know you're attractive," _he teased back.

Attractive. Look after herself.

The words made her world feel brighter, for the moment.

* * *

Kagome's eyes opened, and she took in where she'd washed up. Her body had been carried down the gorge to a shallow body of water. She'd made the right decision, although her soaked clothes told her not so much. She pulled off the heavy puma top, relenting the cost, and made sure her underarmour top was ringed dry. When she put the under armour top on, she felt more cool air on her arms. Heat would return to her slowly, but until then, she had to start moving. She had to find a way back to Miroku and Sango. She had fallen for the illusion, even when warned, and it was stupid. To think he'd be here, and not have come to see his friends, because of her. Why would Inuyasha be doing that? Kagome couldn't count the ways she'd let herself down in an instance. She had to try harder, to show she had changed.

By the time she had some gathering of where she was, she found she had to go around the cliff and up in order to find Miroku and Sango. She could absolutely make it to them if she ran fast enough. This was the first time since she arrived here that she felt some level of confidence in herself. In this strange place, where illusions and terror were beginning to gather together on the three of them, she felt confident she could help.

Kagome finally noticed a path leading upward and began a sprint towards it. Her feet carried her much quicker in her Nike running shoes. Her movement now was probably the same as Miroku was back then – fast, agile. She had been unaware that all of her strength training, cardio and kickboxing back in America would be so useful now. In her head, the memory of Greg forcing her to learn all of this suddenly made sense. Maybe in some way, her future was tied to this place. She was the Kagome of now who could handle the physical challenges of the Feudal Era.

She managed to make it far enough that the gorge dipped away, and she noticed the path becoming smoggy again. No distractions would stop her now. No illusions, nothing to tell her to stop. The fog thickened, and she had to slow down to push through it. She could hear a voice in the distance, loud, and powerful. The voice of Sango, crying out through for _Miroku_. Kagome followed the voice, but the smog thickened until she could only hear the sound. This was another illusion. This illusion was meant to make her lose hope and be lost in the smog. This demon lord did not want the three of them to enter his territory. It occurred to her that if the demon could be this powerful, facing him in person would be all the more terrifying. She would have to be strong.

She managed to continue walking, and called out for Sango and Miroku. It wasn't until she heard a small _meow_ that she felt something bound onto her shoulder. Kirara, in her demon cat form, remained on her shoulder, with strange exhaustion coming over her. Suddenly, it made sense why Kirara could not be trusted to fly them through the territory. Kirara was dozy, likely owing to the overpowering aura of the _daiyokai_. Kagome was sure that she would have to do this on foot.

_But the only way to stop this is to find the source of these illusions. Naraku always had something that made his illusions powerful.. This demon can't be too much different._

But how could she do it? Didn't it require sensing demonic energy? Kagome had no skill like this, and it was relying entirely on the _miko_ who she did not see herself as so strongly in this moment. Since she'd come here, her powers felt locked away. She had no idea what she could do to find it. Miroku and Sango needed her, but she was powerless in a situation like this.

A _daiyokai_ did not want them to interrupt him.

For all of her questions, she felt something stirring inside of her. Once again, that deep, melancholy voice filled her mind. It was Kikyo, again. The part of her soul that had rested within Kagome was speaking out to her. _It's your spiritual energy now.. You need to use it. Feel your way around the energy, separate illusion from spirituality. You are my reincarnation. This should be easy for you._

She focused on the voice. She focused on doing what she was told. Her hands reached out until her figures could grasp what she meant. It was like she'd woken up to a part of her previously unknown. To the inner strength and resolve of someone far more powerful than she. She was feeling the spiritual energy pouring out from within her, into her palms. When she looked, she could make out something demonic at a distance. It was small, but it held the token of power from the _daiyokai_ and it was emanating this fog. Her spiritual energy reached out to it, and it called to her.

_I can break it_.

She drew her bow, and slung an arrow into it. The fit was familiar, despite not having touched bow and arrow in six years. She drew the arrow, and she immediately pulled it back. Her expression laxened, and she let the arrow loose. It zipped through the air, and light surrounded the shot.

Purification cut through the fog, and struck the doll shaped like a fox in the distance.

It fizzled.

Light poured everywhere.

And then the fog disappeared, just as the fox doll was destroyed.

She didn't lower the bow and arrow, but she did feel relief wash over her. A sense of relaxation filled her. She took her time to peer around for her two friends – yes, _friends_ – and caught sight of Sango, and then Miroku, both running towards her.

Her hands lowered, but in her mind, she felt a newfound sense of strength. Her spiritual energy was still strong. She was still the girl who ended Naraku's life all those years ago.

_I've only gotten better and better. _

When Sango and Miroku saw the bow, their surprise was on their features. Kagome liked the look. It made her feel powerful again. They were both skilled, but she doubted they thought she was, too. They'd seen her leap off of a cliff moments before, and now here she was, saving **them**. It was as if the roles had been reversed. She had needed them to save her, but now, she could save them.

It was by no fault of her own that she could still use her spiritual energy. She could call on it, but she needed to learn how to. Being in danger made her use it the way she did when Maiko was in danger. If she was able to do this now.. she could learn enough to do it again.

"You.. You saved us," Miroku began, out of breath. Kagome saw how bad his limp was and how he leaned over. She saw that it was exhaustion that truly took away Miroku's age, and not so much time itself. Sango herself seemed as if she'd been through a lot. "Yeah.. I guess I did," Kagome agreed.

But she was thinking ahead. Far ahead.

This _kitsune daiyokai_ was dangerous.

How did they plan to get to his lair without getting hurt?

When she voiced her concerns, Miroku finally let out a soft sigh. "We have to continue to go. As it is right now, he is unaware of who we are. Once we truly approach him, he should recognise we mean no harm and permit us an audience," he explained. "But for now, we need to stay close. I don't know what drew you away from us, but your surviving that fall off of the cliff was a miracle. I'd dare say, you're almost as strong as Sango now."

"Not nearly. But I've learned some things in my world that will help me now," Kagome admitted, with a sheepish blush.

Once they'd regathered their things, they started to walk again. This time, Kagome would not look for Inuyasha at the distance.


	8. Chapter 8

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

"Why didn't you guys come find me? It's almost as if you weren't here?" Kagome had asked.

But they didn't give her a straightforward answer, even as they walked even further into this dangerous, and illusionary domain. She had a feeling that there was some distance between her, Miroku and Sango now. Although they were close, they were not close enough to share these feelings and thoughts with one another.

Kagome had yet to tell them what she did. How she felt. What distracted her enough to run off of a cliff. She didn't want anyone to know she wasn't over Inuyasha was a name that was not needed in her story anymore. Although she couldn't help but be drawn to him, she knew he would never really want her the same way. There was a distance between her and the Inuyasha she loved, in her memories. The reality was…

_He might not be the same person anymore anyway. Six years changes a lot. Look at how much Sango and Miroku have changed. I can't be caught up on Inuyasha forever._

Love had to be let go of someday. She had spent years with Greg, avoiding the truth. Her love for Inuyasha made her less receptive to someone who really loved her. Kagome had to let go.

Despite her inner thoughts, they continued to walk on and on. It became more and more dangerous as they went on. While the illusions lulled, they finally caught sight of the true power of this _daiyokai_. Kagome knew Sesshomaru was most dangerous in close combat, but this particular demon lord was far more treacherous away from them. They saw signs of battle where they went, with the devastating signs of fire and teeth gnawed at trees. Demons signed to bones and ashes. There were so many signs that what they were about to face off against was no mere demon. Kagome came closer and closer to Sango with every demon, destroyed, that they passed. There were signs that this demon was reckless and savage.

Kagome had no one else to compare it to, save for Sesshomaru. Both were furious demon lords. But Sesshomaru killed with necessity, and he was choosy in how and when. Most of his actions were precise. This _kitsune daiyokai_ seemed to almost enjoy the deaths.

"This doesn't seem safe, Miroku," Kagome began, even though she was noticing that the awkward silence Sango and Miroku had was going to carry on over her chatter. She talked when she was nervous. "He looks powerful, and he doesn't seem like he cares who goes in his territory.. Maybe we should turn back while we can."

Miroku didn't speak, at first, but when he did, he stopped and looked over at Kagome with a frown. "I know it may not seem like it, but this _daiyokai_ can be reasonable," Miroku began. "I think that if he sees you, he won't attack us."

Won't attack us. Sees you. All of this sounded like a gamble to Kagome, who had no idea how dangerous this really was. She realised she had half the information on who this _daiyokai_ was and what their relationship to the rest of them was. Why had she never heard of this six years ago, when she was leaving? Had Sango or Miroku ever been here before? Despite her fear, she continued to walk, and Miroku silently trudged along. Miroku was dishonest. Sango was hiding things. In reality, Kagome knew she had to depend even more on herself now. They expected her to somehow win over a _daiyokai_ capable of seering demons of this size. Someone with so much power would have no respect for a human.

* * *

Finally, it seemed that the trees grew taller and they approached something of a lair. The demon within was said to be powerful. Kagome knew that Sesshomaru could assume a humanoid form, but had a demonic form far more ghastly than any. Likewise, she could feel the tension from Sango and Miroku increase too. Their little journey here had Kirara hidden under Kagome's hair, unable to peek out of fear for what was lurking within the lair.

Where they were, they could hear a sound within. It was loud, deafening. The sound of a demon sleeping. Miroku told them to stop, and then finally pointed at the cavern entrance.

"No," Kagome finally spoke up, in a voice that sounded less like her own. She felt power in her voice, suddenly. Back when she was younger, she'd scream and scream for all of the information. She knew nothing. She lived in danger because they refused to tell her the truth. But now, she was an adult and she wanted the full truth. What kind of demon were they sending her alone to fight? How did something so powerful come here? "Why am I going in? Who is in there? Why would they stop hurting us if they saw me? None of this makes sense, Miroku, and I am not risking my life, **again**, without all of the information!"

She felt like she'd spoken her entire bachelors thesis again. She didn't want to imagine how rude it sounded. She would have agreed to go in the past, when a smiling Sango and a lecherous Miroku would have ushered her in. Inuyasha would have stopped her. The old her was different. Now, alone, she had to ask questions and be sure of her own life. Her decisions, her being in danger, would impact Maiko, who needed her.

"Alright," Miroku began, although he eyed the lair wearily. "The _kitsune daiyokai_ of the North did not exist until five years ago. The original daiyokai who guarded the north passed away three hundred years ago, and the only way to reclaim his throne, and his powers, was to consume the ethereal flames of the North. Only a direct descendant of his could do it."

Already, this sounded pointless. "But why five years ago? What happened then?" Kagome asked, in an impatient voice. To this, Sango stepped forward, and uncharacteristically tried to make Miroku step out. It was clear both of them knew what was going on. "The _daiyokai_ is born from the powers of his ancestors, but he loses his memories, Kagome. Until he is able to see a final piece of his past, he'll never recover this memories and find his regular form," Sango explained. "Someone important to all of us is the _daiyokai_… And he has no memories of us right now. We've been watching him from a distance, trying to see what could bring him back to us."

"Who is this _daiyokai_? Why did they have to do it then?!" was asked, again.

"We don't know why Shippo left us! Or why he never told us about this!" Sango snapped. But she'd already said too much. Kagome felt a ghastly calm surround them now. And it wasn't the awkward calm of the past few hours. This calm was making her sick to the stomach. The more she looked at Sango, the more the terrifying reality of who had been hunting them for hours now made her see the flaw of this entire journey. She hadn't thought to ask where Shippo was all this time – to think he had been the one to put them in danger…

Each demon they crossed, each time she thought they were about to fight a monster.

_Shippo…_

Sango finally seemed to break from the emotional close she'd had for days now, fingers curled into fists. "You're the only hope he has left… Or we've lost Shippo forever," Sango ended.

Lost Shippo forever.

She didn't even know how to ask. Who to ask. How did Shippo, the beloved _yokai_ child who felt like a younger brother to her, become the thing that chewed up and burned demons? What compelled him to do it? Obviously the transformation was not one that wasn't painless. Shippo didn't remember his friends.

Kagome quietly turned away, and held back tears. She had come too far to cry now. She wanted to be strong, but knowing that she was expected to fix this situation only made it worse. Shippo might not even recognise her. She was a stranger to these times, because of how much she changed. With a shaking hand, she wiped tears away and then turned back around to Sango and Miroku. "I want to save him.. but I don't think he'll recognise me," she responded, finally.

The way they looked – crestfallen – only made this that much more worse. "Please tell me how you found out," she asked, in a voice that now sounded afraid. "Shippo turning into that… How did you find out?"

* * *

"How else do we describe it?" Miroku finally said. His voice sounded more troubled than Kagome liked. Kagome fully expected tragedy in these times, but Shippo falling into this kind of tragedy was terrifying in and of itself. To think that they'd lose their most innocent and cheerful companion to something that made no sense.

Miroku pinched the bridge of his nose, and all of them turned to look over at the entrance to the lair. "Five years ago, several hundred demons gathered here in the north to take the land away. Countless lives may have been lost, many more at risk," Miroku continued on. "None of us were aware of the danger that would come of Shippo going North. Not only did he hide his heritage from us, but he also went north with _someone_, who was unable to stop the transformation once Shippo approached this lair.."

_Someone_. Kagome had thoughts on who that someone was, but she knew better than to voice her concerns. Even more importantly, she knew that the rest was even more horrifying. Transformation? How did Shippo transform? "By transformation, we were told that he swallowed the _aramitama_ from the deceased _kitsune daiyokai_ in the cavern, as no other demon could, and it began to rip his skin apart," Miroku's face soured, his hand lifting to hide his expression. Kagome was equally as fixated suddenly on what was at a distance in the lair. "The bones remained, and the beast that came to breathe and exist within is _Shippo_, but with no memories of his…

… And he attacks any and all who enter the Northern territory he guards. Leaving no way for many of us to approach him. Those that do are put under illusions, spells and if not incinerated. Truthfully we don't even know if Shippo is still in there… But Sango and I have long believed you may be the only person capable of finding out. Your spiritual energy is powerful enough to protect you—" Miroku was cut short by Kagome lifting her hand. Her stomach felt weak, her entire body felt consumed by despair and terror. Not only for Shippo, who may not even be Shippo anymore, but for the ghastly mental images entering her mind. Their innocent little companion was basically devoured. He was no longer the same person. "How do you know anyone can save him? How do you know that **thing** is Shippo?" Kagome asked.

Thing. These were words used in America to describe animals. Kagome realised it without truly ever speaking, but her words were direct reflections of that world. She couldn't help but describe demons as things. One had destroyed one of her friends. She wanted to see it, to see what remained of Shippo. But she was afraid of the reality of it now. Either she'd go inside and see the lost remnants of the child she adored, or she'd see a giant demon, ready to consume her.

"Because we had an opportunity to consult Sesshomaru," Sango interrupted, now able to speak up. "Although his power was inherited through birth, he made some comment about how the _kitsune_ inherit power through flames. Shippo was incomplete the entire time he was with us. He said something about how familiarity might bring his memories back, but none of us have been familiar. Not like you."

Did she even want to risk this? Her entire goal was to save _Maiko_. But if she wanted to save one life, Shippo was important too. Shippo had risked his life to stop Naraku, too. In this entire mess, Shippo had been the cheery and sweet one. He told her she was important when Inuyasha rejected her, helped her move on when Inuyasha was being stupid. To think her little friend was in a situation where he didn't even know who he was, was only proof that this world was too cruel. She had to help him. Shippo was alone right now.

She carefully held her bow in one hand, the arrows behind her back. "I have to shoot if he attacks me," she said, after a moment. "My mission is more important than anything… Maiko can't be left alone in my time."

Kill Shippo if he attacks? Really though, she thought. She was going to kill the demon that took Shippo away.

She slowly walked into the cave.

Miroku and Sango watched on, nervously.


	9. Chapter 9

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

Xxxx

**Chapter Nine**

_Sesshomaru said that they might be able to bring him back if he finds the pieces of the memories he's missing. So I just have to keep telling myself that its Shippo. Not a demon, not something that can hurt me. If I can go inside, and somehow convince him to remember himself, we'll have our friend back. We'll have somewhere to start. _

_I didn't realise that even Shippo went through tragedy. I was so selfish back then, assuming my life was hard because of Inuyasha. Me leaving meant so many people suffered alone._

_We broke apart when Naraku wasn't joining us together. Now, Maiko is why I'm trying to reconnect the pieces of these memories. Shippo's memories need to be reconnected again, too. It might be the only way for us to save Maiko._

_Or I'll die in here._

* * *

She walked into the lair and immediately felt a burst of heat on her skin. It seethed against her skin, made her fingertips boil. She could have sworn it was worse than any sauna she had been to in her life. This kind of heat was like pure fire. Kagome had known Shippo was a strong boy, but his tricks and his fox fire had been harmless. Had they been aware of what his real abilities were, why he didn't want to confront that part of his past, she would have stayed. _Or I say I would have, but I assumed my tragedy was the worst. Shippo literally lost himself… Everyone here is suffering so much more than me. _

Her footsteps slowed when she heard it – the sound of something inside. Giant, feral sounding growl. It was – no, _he_ was asleep. Kagome could tell it was a snore. Her boyfriend's dog snored like this. But the sound was much more frightening when she noticed even more demons, this time, bones, around the entire lair. Each corner was filled with them. Some places had flesh, torn open. The incisions were from fangs. Kagome had seen Sesshomaru in his feral form – a white, ghastly looking dog. But he was elegant, composed, just as he was in the humanoid form Kagome saw.

The thing that tore these demons apart was not human, nor was it quick. It murdered relentlessly. Kagome could only imagine what would happen to her had she been inside at the wrong time. With a quickening heart, and slower steps, she finally found the tunnel leading into an area surrounded by burned grass. And the more she walked, the more she found the mount of demon bones incinerated. This was a fire creature, full of terrifying strength. Kagome was one of few people who were not afraid of fire in her time, but the idea of flames like this did terrify her.

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw it. A set of bones, much smaller, like a child, with tattered remains of blue and brown clothing around it. Her hands shook, eyes filled to the brim with tears. She could see the burning on the bones, from the heat that probably swallowed him whole. The way it was positioned, against a wall, made clear that Shippo did not want this. She couldn't bring herself to approach the set of remains, couldn't bring herself to stop looking either. The way it was turned to the large gap, leading into the lair, was a sign that their little friend was gone. The remains, the condition of the lair, only meant that the demon that had taken Shippo away was powerful and would not rest until it could consume anyone who entered its territory.

Shippo, her little Shippo. Her friend, her brother, and at times someone who saved her. Was a set of bones, sitting in a corner, once terrified of what was about to consume him.

She stopped where she was, and despite herself, felt tears roll down her cheek. She didn't make a sound – she was too scared for that – but she could picture it all. Shippo screaming for help, _someone_ not being able to help, and finally what Miroku described. Shippo being consumed by flames, until only his bones and clothing remained. Flesh was gone. His soul was taken away by the demon that would rule the Northern lands. This was a kind of terrifying reality she didn't think they'd have to encounter in this world. They had lead her to believe Naraku dying would take away some of the ghastly truths of their world. But in reality, Naraku dying had simply split them apart, until the real ghastly truths of the Feudal Era could rule over them.

Truths about how wives could die in childbirth. Truths of how true love could never be true. Truths of how a child could be consumed by his family and only his bones be left behind.

Kagome didn't like this world. And in her mind, it was cemented that she needed to go back home. Soon.

She finally looked away from Shippo – and mentally swore to avenge him – and made her way into the lair. Each step was heavy, her hands gripping her bow even tighter. She didn't know what to do. She was going to die if she didn't shoot it now. The next step revealed the ghastly, orange and white _demon_ laying in the center of the lair. It was beyond Kagome's imagination. Perhaps too large to be real. Even more terrifying were the nine tails sprouting from its back, and the massive jagged teeth it showed with barred jaw.

Its eyes were closed, but she knew _kitsune_, from folklore, from Shippo, from every experience in this world. They were intelligent, and tricksters. It could be awake and she wouldn't know any differently.

She carefully stepped forward, even though she was afraid she'd go into cardiac arrest any moment now. There was no way she could do this. It wasn't Shippo. She didn't know what she was looking at.

And then one eye opened. She let out a shriek and took a step back – but the entrance was suddenly covered in flames. Burning, seering flames came from the roof of the lair entrance to the ground, blocking off her view of Shippo's bones and the exit. She could see nothing now but flames when she turned around. The seering heat was powerful here, and she had to turn around and stare at _it_. The _kitsune daiyokai_ that she had been told to somehow remind of itself. Of who it was before it became this.

She couldn't do it. No one could do it. This was not Shippo. _None of them have been this close to this demon… Why am I here? Is it toying with me? Does it want to hurt me? Am I going to die?_

The demon watched – one green eye flickering up and down, taking in her appearance. "You—are not a demon," it spoke, jaw opening to speak out. The voice was deep, but it had tinges of youth in it. The demon was amused. Kagome could read voices well enough to know it was amused by her. "I'm… I'm a _miko_, we've met," she began.

"We have? You? A human? And me, _a demon lord_?" it asked. It sounded as if it was toying with her. The moment one paw, with a clawed talon, moved, Kagome felt tears start to form in her eyes. She couldn't be saved by anyone. She was going to be tortured in here, and left as a corpse for all eternity.

She thought back to the amount of times her friends had almost died for her. To how often Shippo almost died for all of them. She realised, she was selfish. Her life was no more important than anyone else's. Shippo had died for them. No matter how large this demon was, it was still a demon. She had more spiritual energy than anyone in this world. She could protect herself… Long enough to keep it at bay.

But she didn't want to. She had to talk to it. "Don't you remember? We helped you fight Hiten and Manten when they killed your father," she began. "I'm um… from a different era."

"Your clothes do not look like a miko. Who are you really?" it asked. Suddenly, it lifted its head. The massive head lifted, the body, until she could see nine tails swinging back and forth playfully. Shippo was never terrifying. She had to keep talking for fear that it would stop being amused and kill her. "I'm in training," she admitted, carefully. "I was like your sister. There were six of us altogether. We travelled Japan together, to fight off demons. To find one in specific-…"

Suddenly, its head lowered. Until it could peer at her, closely. It didn't come too close, but the snout was so close, Kagome felt like begging. Stay away, don't touch me. But it was the way it watched her, with immense interest. "Naraku," it said, simply. "Tell me, who else was there? When we supposedly met?"

"Miroku, the _hoshi_. Sango, the _taijiya_. Inuyasha, the _hanyou_, Kirara, the _neko _yokai… Me, the reincarnation of a _miko_… and you, **Shippo**, the _kitsune_," she answered, a little too quickly. "You were my shoulder to cry on… Whenever Inuyasha hurt my feelings… Whenever I felt alone. You and I were so close, sometimes I felt like you understood me the best because we were so removed from everything. Neither of us had been hurt by Naraku personally…"

"Naraku hurt me?" it asked, in a slow voice. As if this confused it. Kagome imagined this would confuse it. The size, the power, all of this made _it_ unable to imagine being defeated. Maybe by Sesshomaru, or even Naraku, but ordinary demons wouldn't even approach. It made her wonder why it let her so close. She was human, easy to kill. It could probably smell her from far away, along with her spiritual energy.

Was it really Shippo? Was that why it didn't remove her?

She took a step towards it, trying to hide her fear. "It's a long story, but the _shikon no tama_, which Naraku coveted, entered your life and was why your father was killed," she admitted. Another step, her hand lifted.

And lifted. "You helped defeat Naraku."

Lifted a little more. "You were there when I came back from inside of the _shikon no tama_, and we were all so happy to finally be free of him."

-and finally, her hand on his snout.

His snout.

The demon stared at her, pensive. But Kagome knew she couldn't be afraid. If she was, she'd lose Shippo.

"Why did you go away?" the _kitsune daiyokai_ asked, finally. "When you knew how much we needed you to keep us together?"

It was Shippo.

Kagome finally let tears drip down her face, something she'd held in since so many mentions of Inuyasha. She held in the way her whole body felt consumed by the sudden release of emotions. Why did she go away? Why did she leave her friends to suffer so much? How did she let so many horrible things happen, all because she was heartbroken over a guy?

"I'm… So sorry. I'm so sorry I left," she said, removing her hand in order to wipe at her eyes with her sleeve. She couldn't stop the tears. The past few hours, knowing she'd seen an illusion of _Inuyasha_, one that ignored her like the real Inuyasha did too, the tension between Sango and Miroku, and finally seeing the remains of her little Shippo, all pooled on her in ways nursing school didn't. She had to hold herself up, even though she knew she was sobbing infront of a demon that might not even recall her. "I'm so sorry that I let you suffer, Shippo… You're so important to all of us, and I wish I could go back and- and just save you!"

To her tears and her crying, she felt something – one of the tails- lightly brush over the top of her head. It might have terrified her, but she felt all of this emotion, welled up inside, bursting out at once. "I was a stupid teenager, Shippo. I was heartbroken. He didn't want me here, so I left," she admitted, at long last. The words no one had heard, but everyone had assumed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

She kept repeating the words, over, and over, and over, with her eyes tightly closed. Until she could feel her entire body just drowning in tears. She knew she had let everyone down with what she did, but she hadn't known how bad it was until now. No one was happy. With Naraku's death, they had all been miserable and separated.

It wasn't until she felt a set of arms around her that she opened her eyes, and _looked up_, at who it was. Gone was the feral, giant _kitsune_ that had terrified her. In its place was a young man, with enchanting green eyes, red hair, and a blue, elegant haori. The familiarity in those eyes was Shippo, though the hair was much longer, it was still tied up. He was youthful, easily reminding her of the elegance and youth Sesshomaru had. But more significantly, he was Shippo.

She could feel a difference, the huge demonic energy was not like their friend. It was almost impossible to subdue it. But she could feel his good nature and warmth. Without another moment to waste, she let her arms wrap around him, and she held onto her friend Shippo like she hadn't in so many years.

Shippo finally released her, but not without a glance around where he was. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do… It's best to go outside. I haven't been away from here in years," he admitted. Kagome gave a gentle nod, and when he started to walk out, she couldn't help but realise that Shippo did grow up.

In a way they hadn't expected, though.

* * *

When Shippo emerged outside, Sango and Miroku were in shock. Not because Kagome came out in one piece – which she did – but because the person that came with her did not look like the Shippo they expected. "Is that—" Sango began. But it took a moment for Shippo to walk over and pull her into a hug too. Then Miroku, although he was equally as shell shocked as Sango, and unable to return any sort of a hug.

Kagome smiled from where she was. But in her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if _Inuyasha_ was around here, watching this. Maybe he hadn't helped because he knew she was in there. Maybe he was waiting for her to help bring Shippo back. Regardless, seeing him now would ruin it. She didn't want to see him. She was already weak the moment they mentioned his name. Inuyasha not loving her was a reality, and she was beginning to accept it, slowly, day by day.

Shippo walked over to Kirara, who had to sniff him in order to recognise him. His scent had probably changed, too. Finally, the five of them chose to sit on the ground, and silence overcame them all. "All of us have a lot of explaining to do," Shippo said. He was being commanding, a trait that Kagome had never seen in him before. Maybe becoming the _daiyokai_ of the Northern Lands had changed him. He was powerful enough now to be able to pose a serious threat to anyone.

"Starting with you," Sango and Miroku said, at once.

The four of them laughed, with a small Kirara nuzzling into Shippo's side. To think she'd be here, laughing with the three of them, after so long. Kagome felt as if her whole world had changed, in an instance. She couldn't help but feel welcomed, with life and warmth. She could put everything else behind her for now.

"Well, I'm the grandsonson of the former _daiyokai_, Kurama," Shippo admitted, finally. "I didn't tell anyone because I didn't know. My father never said there was this way to inherit the powers, but he said our family had dangerous origins and I was forbidden to go there. My father refused the powers, too. He didn't want to hurt others. So when the demons began attempting to take Kurama's powers in the north, and no one else knew what to do, _Inuyasha_ and I went to stop it."

There it was, his name. Kagome could picture it in her head. Inuyasha and Shippo rushing forth to battle countless demons, in this very spot. He would have tried to go alone, but Shippo would have tagged along. Sango and Miroku wouldn't have known about it, since Miroku was suffering losing Koharu, and Sango refused to say what she was doing to find Taijiya. Then Shippo would have entered the lair, and activated whatever caused him to change.

"As soon as I was separated from Inuyasha, I went into the lair to look for him… And instead, my grandfather appeared before me. He forced me to take his powers, and as Kagome saw, my physical form couldn't hold that power. My _aramitama_ had to be transferred into a new body– that's how the cycle of inheritance is for _kitsune_," Shippo admitted. He looked down at himself, at his hands. "This is my body, but it's been reborn by flames. Now, I have my powers, the full amount. But the problem is, the flames don't give memories back. They need to be awakened."

"By pieces of your memories, right?" Kagome asked, chiming in.

"Exactly. So when _all of you_ came to see me, it wasn't enough. Kagome was an important part of my life, and she wasn't here. So when she came, the last pieces came to me. I recognised her smell, and then she told me things that I realised were me… And then finally, the last pieces came back to me," he finished.

Kagome tried to smile, but she really felt embarrassed. He had to hide so much about Inuyasha. It was stupid. But she'd brought Shippo back. All of them had saved their friend. She thought back to how scared she was, how much she hated what happened to Shippo… but she realised she only had to be grateful to have him here. They were all together and safe.

"I don't know anything about any of you anymore. Can I hear where you've been, Miroku?" Shippo asked. "I only smelled Sango and… _someone_ else here."

_Someone else. _She knew he was avoiding saying the name for her sake. But Kagome knew Inuyasha was as much a part of this as her. They couldn't avoid bringing him up, making him a part of this life of hers. She didn't know if she could handle hearing it, but she knew they couldn't tell their stories without him. He was still a part of everyone's lives, even if they were afraid involving him would hurt her. She was too afraid to admit he was a part of hers, too. Inuyasha was in every core of her being, shaping parts of her that no one else could ever understand.

Was Inuyasha the link that tied the four of them together? Or did something else connect the five of them?

Kagome slowly drew her legs up to her chest. Miroku seemed hesitant to speak, but when he did, Kagome could tell it was a heavily annotated version of his life. "I had a wife, she died during childbirth. That was why we were unaware of the demonic manifestation in the North. I would like to apologize for my failure to be there for you," he said, and finished off, quickly.

Sango's explanation was equally as annotated. This new, mature Shippo didn't question more. He didn't prod at the lack of a relationship between Sango and Miroku. But the concern on his face was the same as before. In a way, Kagome knew he'd be looking for signs of changes and swallowing them differently. Kagome had changed, and she expected the same treatment. But unlike all of them, her world was untouchable. She could talk about it, and it wouldn't change what really happened. Shippo already knew why she left, why it took six years for her to come back. "And what about you, Kagome? You've changed more than all of us," Shippo asked.

She would have laughed and pointed at how he looked. But she really wanted to say – no, I'm still crazy about Inuyasha. I'm still the same girl.

Instead she shrugged. "I finished school, I have a job lined up… I think life just went on for me when I went _home_," she admitted. "I came back for someone else." Shippo hesitated to comment. She assumed he wanted to ask about who it was. Maybe he thought she meant Inuyasha. Maybe they assumed she came back to make up with him. But that was furthest from the truth. She wanted to stay as far as possible. Kagome knew she had a life to go back to, one where she would have to find a way to forget all of this once again. The happiness of this era was not her happiness. It was a stolen moment in time, and it belonged in the past. "I'm here for my friend, Maiko," was her response, at long last. "There's a shrine near my home. The Ishiguro Shrine. It went through a tragic accident six years ago. Maiko survived, but…"

In her mind, she went back to the Ishiguro Shrine. She went back to Maiko's room, where she'd knelt at her bedside and tried to heal her. She went back to the feeling of those red eyes on here, the cold entering the room. When she looked back now, more vivid details filled her mind. The room was freezing. Maiko herself had no scarring or weakness, and she could sense spiritual energy in the room. But she could sense a void of the purity she associated with spiritual energy. That was why she could confidently say something was wrong.

She was startled at how easily she remembered Maiko now. She recalled loose, wavy black locks of hair. She recalled her expression, of amusement. She lifted her hand up, the one she'd used to hold Maiko… and she realised something that had not occurred to her before.

Maybe it was her spiritual powers emerging, strong. Or maybe she hadn't thought it over in her rush.

Maiko had spiritual powers. The way she'd felt a surging fear, the way she'd fled from there, all of it pointed to the same kind of spiritual control that Kagome had. It was in spades, perhaps even as powerful as Kikyo had been when she was alive.

But it took coming to the Feudal Era to unlock Kagome's abilities, both times. It had been sealed. No demon possessing a Miko could use her spiritual powers.

Kagome's ghastly expression concerned all three of her friends, with Kirara mewing from Sango's side. Shippo immediately reached out for Kagome's hand. "What's wrong? Did something happen? I don't sense demonic energy nearby," – and then Miroku immediately trying to ask what happened.

Kagome swallowed. And then she shook her head. "I don't know… I remembered, no… I think my spiritual energy remembered being attacked. It remembered Maiko attacking it, when she tried to scare me. And she was powerful."

The silence that swelled was uncomfortable. Kagome could come up with no explanation for why a demon would be able to use a _miko_'s spiritual energy. In all of her experience, in all of her time, she had never met something like this.

Then she remembered Kikyo's voice in her mind… _There's something foul in her. You can't touch it. It was born in her, like I was born in you. If you go too close, it will come out!_

It was too late to run away. She couldn't comprehend anything. And from the look the others gave her, they were equally as confused. This was beyond their time, beyond their reach. She knew there was no way to lure out a demon from someone if it was housed in them this powerfully. Kagome was afraid this would require her to be far more in tune with her own spiritual energy. Her powers were not indefinite. She always had drawbacks. She always felt she lacked somehow.

"… Is this woman in your time?" Shippo finally asked.

"She's in my time. She's… she's my age, and she's a _miko_. But, I think a demon has possessed her… I came back to see if someone could fix her. I think the well let me through so I could save her life," Kagome pressed. "So… Please tell me how I can fix this now. I have to go back. I have to save her life."

She was beginning to shake, if not from knowing she was facing a powerful adversary, but from knowing she alone could do this. No one else would come through the well with her, back to her time. Kagome would fight alone, until the very end. Maiko would be the one enemy Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and even _Inuyashai _would not be able to see. But she could prepare herself. She had enough to do so. "I suppose we should begin our return journey to Lady Kaede's village," Miroku admitted. Sango nodded in agreement. Kagome had been thinking about how to show them Maiko, the world she was coming from, and just how bad her situation was.

She fished out her cellphone from her bag, along with a bag of chips, which she presented to Shippo. She turned it on, the familiarity of the screen warming her heart. The picture of _Greg_ and her on the front made Sango lean in a little more to look. "Who is that?" she asked. Kagome, flushed, quickly opened the screen to the saved articles about Maiko. They were in a simplified, modern Japanese, but she was fairly sure Sango and Miroku could read it. She offered it out to them, explained how the screen works (to much ooh's and aaahs) and finally, all three of them read the screen. Their expressions darkened with the reading.

When they handed the phone back, Kagome had already leaned back with a container of almond milk she'd brought from her time, sipping it. She felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. She wanted to go home, if only to lay down. To get this over with. Then maybe she'd apply for a work license in America and go home.

"That is a tragic life," was Sango's response.

"I feel quite bad for that beautiful _miko_," Miroku also responded, to a glare from Sango and Kagome. "It's been five years and you haven't changed a bit, perverted _hoshi_," Shippo snorted.

And then all of them burst out laughing.

Familiarity lingered around them, for a little, while Kagome shared some food. She tried to put Maiko behind them for the moment, at least, so she could treasure these moments with her friends.

It could be her last, since she'd never come back once she goes home.

She could count the footsteps on the journey back to the well, and she'd take all of the pictures she could.

And so when she told them to gather around her, and snapped a picture, it was the one to replace her lock screen. The picture of her five friends with her. The goodbye journey.


	10. Chapter 10

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

Hi everyone! Thank you for the reivews. They've really made me want to write this story consistently. Thank you to **Cyrus559, LadyAgnimitra, **and** LucyDEU** for consistently reviewing. I really love reading reviews because it does give me ideas about directions to take, and what you guys do want to read. This has been a **very** angsty fic so far, so I tried to add in some light moments, but I overall realise the story is only going to get more and more dark. I've loved the input I get on decisions the characters have made so far. I really try to take everything into account. I hope you guys keep following this story, since I have a lot more to cover. I realise it is beyond time we re-introduce Inuyasha into the story, and we'll get there soon enough!

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"What happens to these.. _digital photographs_, as you have called them, when they're taken on your _cellphone_?" Miroku asked, in an uncomfortable voice. All throughout the day, Kagome had been taking photographs on her cellphone. Of everything. If it looked interesting, she took a photo. She'd taken one of Shippo's lair – from the outside – with Shippo standing beside it. He'd even assumed the small, childlike form he'd had six years ago and posed for her, so she could have a memory of those times. She'd made Sango and Miroku take photos for her, of her beside things. She'd done so many photographs, that they were concerned the journey back would be slow.

Now, at midnight, she was awake, taking pictures of the fire and of the trees in the dark. A day had passed, and they were well aware of how much longer the return journey would be if she was going to continue to take these.

She stopped only long enough to lower her phone, and look over at them from the other side of the fireplace. Shippo, with a handful of potato chips, peered on interested from where he was sitting. All in all, the entire group looked quite strange now. Miroku, despite looking more tired than he had six years ago, was quite normal for this time. Sango was exquisite and powerful looking. Kagome had never truly fit into this era with how she looked and behaved. And Shippo, now appearing to fit the idea of a _daiyokai_, did not fit into a group of humans. All in all, the hilarity of the way they were travelling, with Kagome taking pictures at every given moment, was irresistible to her. She had never thought she'd have a chance to treasure these moments with them.

If only she'd had a cellphone six years ago. If only she could have taken a photo of Inuyasha.

It would have been awkward, and a hidden away memory in her life, but she would have wanted it anyway.

When she could finally gather herself long enough to answer, she shrugged her shoulders. "It stays here, and I can upload it to a bigger netwo—um… place to keep them. They stay forever. I can look at them as often as I want. I can put them onto paper and put them around my room," she explained. She even held up her phone lock screen, to show the five of them on it – her, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara. She felt a weakening in her chest, when she realised she was probably going to keep that forever. She was going to say goodbye, properly, within the next couple of days. They were all going to go back to their ordinary lives.

Sango sat up from where she was, once again in her pink, green and white kimono, and looked at the screen in astonishment. "It really looks just like me! It's almost like witchcraft!" Sango exclaimed, leaning into to take a closer look at herself. The Sango in the picture was just as pretty as she was in real life, with the exception of how tired she looked. They'd been journeying quickly to Shippo's lair. The others seemed equally as shocked by the image. "You guys are a part of my _memories_… I want to be able to see you when I go back," Kagome explained, in a voice that held that tinge of sadness. "I want you to keep being my strength. So that when I look at these photos, I can see the place I love… I can see the _people I love_, every time I open my phone."

Her words were unusually deep. Too much about her personal thoughts. When she closed her eyes, keeping the phone held out, she felt shuffling, and then finally a lot of arms around her. She opened her eyes to find Sango, Shippo, Miroku and Kirara all around her. The embrace felt warm, and familiar. She felt like she was at home right now, with people she could talk to all of the time. If things had no gone wrong, if Inuyasha had not rejected her, this would have been her home.

But it wasn't, and it took just her phone briefly flickering to a page with _**Ishiguro Shrine**_ written on it to make her realise her home was in the modern times. She was a part of that time. She would have to spend her life wondering what happened to these people, how they died, when they found their happiness. They'd be pictures to her forever. But she had to go back for Maiko, for her family.

_I promised to go back. I promised I would not let the feudal era swallow me again._

"We will miss you, Kagome," Miroku said, with a small pat on the top of her head. He'd somehow matured so much that there was no perverted touching. Instead, he moved away and gave her a smile. "You're one of few people who have seen me for who I am. You, Sango, Shippo, Kirara and…- well, all of you, have seen me for who I am," he admitted. "I'm going to be grateful to you for the rest of my life. You will be in all of my prayers."

When he omitted the final name, the one she knew he had to say to be honest, she knew they were all omitting him for her sake. He was a big part of their journey. So many struggles and pain were a part of his life, and he was not included in this group. Kagome couldn't face him, but these people have been a part of his life for a long time. In a moment of weakness, she could admit she wanted to see him one final time. But she knew it would lead her back into that rabbit hole of longing for him.

Longing and never having.

Then she would have to suffer more to get over him. This was true love. This was a painful, true love, that would never be returned to her. Kagome easily lowered her phone, just as Shippo and Sango released her, and looked away. To the ground, anywhere but at them. "It's okay to say his name," she said, in a voice that sounded just as dejected as she felt. "I don't want to see him, but I know he's a part of all of our lives. You can say his name."

_Inuyasha_. The name alone was difficult to say aloud. She cried even thinking of it. But she was going to have to learn to live with it for the rest of her life. He was gone. He had more important things to do, like thinking of Kikyo, over being with her. Being in her life was not important.

"We know that, but we want this to be about you, Kagome. As much as he did for us, it was you who brought all of us together," was Sango's voice, cutting in. "You're the one who held us together. I don't know what happened to make us drift apart. I don't know how we'll all see each other again. But I know that for some reason, five of us are together now, and you somehow brought that reason along with you."

Joined together again. By something.

She looked down at her phone, at the page showing Ishiguro Shrine. She thought about what joined them together in the past. A common hatred for Naraku, a common search to end his wretched life. This time, though. What united them wasn't Naraku. It was Maiko Ishiguro.

Maiko who lived on the place Naraku had inhabited for close to a year, in the body of a nobleman.

What did all of this mean?

* * *

When they came back to Kagewaki's village, the castle loomed over them. Kagome watched it with curious eyes. She wanted to go there, to see what was still living there, but she knew it was not a good idea.

What had happened to Maiko, was probably lurking there now. She wondered if, like in a time travel movie, she could kill it now and save Maiko in the future. But she knew it wasn't that easy. She might not find the right demon. Maiko of another time might be saved, but the Maiko she knew was still in danger. Was a danger to anyone who existed around her. A demon able to use spiritual powers was a demon more powerful than anything Naraku had ever been capable of doing. Maiko was a powerful priestess, and it was almost certain she needed to be saved.

The five of them managed to stop in the inn, where Sango had stayed with Kagome, only for the night. Shippo reverted to his childhood form to avoid attracting too much attention. Once safely inside, he'd returned to the youthful form he truly was. Kagome missed the child, but she knew this Shippo was his true self. They gathered around the inn room, all staring at one another expectantly. "Well, I suppose its time now to discuss how you will stop Maiko," Miroku began. He sipped a cup of tea. Shippo had chosen ramen this time, and nibbled on it, while continuing with what he was doing. "What will all of you do when I go?" Kagome asked. She was curious to know what they were going to do.

"Sanyu will be training as a monk soon," Miroku said. He rolled his shoulders, and lowered the teacup. "I'm afraid I've become rather lax on my wellbeing. I may begin to go through training. Or I'll begin to look like an old man before my time."

"I don't mind helping," Sango interrupted. "Once in a while. We are _friends_ after all, Miroku."

The smile between Sango and Miroku was beautiful. One Kagome didn't think she'd see for a long time. Somehow, on the journey back, they'd become friends again. Kagome didn't think either of them were ready for more than friendship, but it meant they could get along. The tension had eased between them long enough for them to finally acknowledge being friends. "I'm going to have to go back to defending my territory," Shippo admitted. "I won't destroy everything in it anymore. But some of the threats you saw were harmful to _villagers_ that passed by."

"You mean you weren't just destroying everything that came in your way?" Kagome asked.

"No, obviously not! There were demons coming inside to hurt me, or hurting the innocent people who passed by. I'm a _daiyokai_, Kagome. I have to protect my land. You were safe when I knew you weren't here to hurt me or anyone else that lives in the North," Shippo snorted.

She smiled at Shippo, and reached out to pat his hand. "I'm afraid I have to continue training the _children_," Sango explained. This was the first mention of children. Kagome gave her a surprised look. "Not mine! There were orphans in some nearby towns. They had nowhere to go. So I told them I'd train them to be taijiya, if they came to my village. So now there are adults and children there. It's been a slow process, but we're finally beginning to look… _alive_ again," Sango explained.

Her smile was the one Kagome missed most. Sango had been sad since she lost her family. She was finding a new family, with others who lost their children. "I'm happy all of you found something," Kagome said, in a voice that was quivering. She was going to begin crying again. "You guys have suffered so much. Your lives have been so hard. I'm so glad you found something to make you happy."

Everyone was so happy, for the moment. So set in what they had to do. Even if they were all apart, Kagome felt like she was still a part of their lives. "What will you do, Kagome? After… you help your friend?" Shippo finally asked.

After she saved Maiko – there was no doubt in their voices. Kagome could do it. She looked down at her hands, at the phone still in it. She thought about what she would do. Where would life lead her? She had a job to find, she had a family to take care of. She had healing to do. She had to learn to live with what she was losing. "I'm not sure," she admitted, sadly. "But I think I'll be okay. I needed to see all of this again, to be sure that I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go, everyone. I'm ready to save Maiko, and then to start my life."

She smiled, with tears in her eyes.

But Kagome was unable to really grasp what she was feeling. She should be anxious about Maiko. She should be scared of what would happen there. But she couldn't stop thinking of Inuyasha. Was he watching? Was he aware she came back? Did he miss her?

Inuyasha was the most important thing keeping her here. But she had to let go of him. Once Maiko was safe, free from the possession, Kagome would have no reason to stay here.

"Let us talk now about how to remove a demon," Miroku said. He slowly extracted something from his pocket. Ofuda, with writing on it. He held them out to Kagome. She took them, peered at them nervously. "While this is how _Buddhist hoshi_ extract demons, it is different for a _miko_ of the Shinto tradition," Miroku explained. "I have put some of my spiritual energy into these ofuda. They're powerful, but I don't know how they'll react in your time. So you need to be ready to use your own spiritual energy. Ofuda work on harming demons, but only powerful spiritual energy will push a demon out."

He also took out a doll, made of wood, and offered it to her. It reminded her of the little toys Shippo used to fight demons. "This will hold demonic energy. Shippo showed it to me when he was a child and I have since used it whenever I need to contain a powerful demon. Your spiritual energy can guide the harmful entity into here," Miroku explained. "But it has to be you. You have to be strong. No one else can help you."

"Miroku, you're forgetting the biggest problem," Sango interrupted. She looked concerningly at Kagome. "She's going to have to fight through _another miko's_ spiritual energy. The demon will be using that to keep her away."

Kagome had no idea how to fight off spiritual energy. She may have done it unknowingly before but it was scary. She didn't think she could. She was going to fight someone who had no idea what she was doing. "You've used it countless times before, Kagome," Shippo cut in, his hands reaching out for Kagome's. She held onto Shippo, if only because he seemed to be the most powerful here. His emotions were so in check, and he always seemed to believe. She needed that, especially knowing what she was going to be going against. "You were the one who ended Naraku's life. You have more _faith_ in yourself than you know. And if you ever have any doubt, think of me, think of us. You're our Kagome!"

She quickly wrapped her arms around Shippo, and took comfort in perhaps the last time she would hear words like this.

She could do it. She could save Maiko.

She alone could.

* * *

_I need strength to say goodbye. I'm not going because of a broken heart this time. I'm going because I have to. I have no reason to be here. I'm needed at home._

_But I love all of these people. I love these places. I love everything._

_How can I let go?_

* * *

Kaede's Village came into view at last. When the five of them arrived, Lady Akiko was waiting. The villagers crowded around, welcoming all of them. Kagome was greeted with warmth, gifts, embraces, all of which she accepted (but she dispersed the gifts). Shippo had to go back to his child form to show who he was, then reverted, allowing everyone to marvel at his growth. Some of the younger girls who saw him also ooh'd and aah'd at how handsome he was.

All in all, it had been a long, tiring, and emotional journey. They were sent to their own huts, with Kagome getting her own. Unable to rest, she left the hut and went into the forest. Alone, she could look at the _Goshinboku_ without interruption. She traced the steps, counting each one. She thought of the times she ran into here, down the well, without looking at it. She wandered until she saw it, and turned to face the notch in the center. The way it looked as if it still had him, attached to it.

Her hand reached out, fingers brushing over the place where Kikyo's arrow had struck Inuyasha. In more than a century, he had not breathed. He had not moved. She freed him when she first came here, allowing Inuyasha to save her from Mistress centipede. But he really wanted the jewel, and Kaede had been forced to bind him in a spell that forever locked them together. Kagome missed that part of her life, where they had first started to get to know one another. Rude at first, then sometimes sweet. Until she was sure he cared for her, and then she thought maybe, just maybe, it could be _love_.

_But he loved Kikyo all along. And I wasn't important enough… So I went home, and I had to get away from this tree to see that I was safe._

She thought about how easy it was to forget the memories tied to this tree, that lived on even in her own time. She reached out, and let hand rest on the trunk. She leaned in, until her forehead could touch the tree. Her eyes closed, and she let herself cry for a little bit.

No one would understand how hard it was to forget the one love she truly believed in.

She stayed there until she realised it was close to dawn. Turning away from the tree to head back to the village, she glimpsed the bone eaters well one final time. She'd be back here the next day, to return home. To save Maiko. To return to the life she had to live.

She thought to herself, that this was as good of a goodbye to Inuyasha as she would ever get. Peering at a branch along the top, where he often rested, she waved.

_Goodbye Inuyasha. I know I didn't see you here, but I felt you in every walk, every sentence, every person. When I go home tomorrow, the only reminders of you will be around the shrine and in my memories. I have to say goodbye. I miss you, and I miss everything about you. But I'm going to go. I'm going to change. Goodbye forever._

* * *

The morning came. It didn't take as long as she might have liked. Kagome sat up slowly, to find the others already outside. She'd overslept. Her bones felt weak, maybe because she didn't want to go. Some part of her, that was eternally fifteen, wanted to wake up here every day. Wanted to live here.

She stayed where she was, until she could finally sit up and then stand up. She once again found a _miko_ hakama folded beside her, but instead of outright rejecting it, she slid it into her backpack. She was not a _miko_, but she felt some need to keep it with her. She put on a change of clothes, stretched, and then headed outside.

Sango was at a distance showing some villagers how to cultivate a plant. Shippo was sitting with some of the teenage boys who were interested in how he changed. She hoped he omitted some of the details.

Miroku was with lady Akiko, discussing some things about the village. She couldn't hear much, but the few words she heard said something about finding a new _miko_. Kagome supposed everyone knew she would not come back. Why would she? This place was not her home. She had many homes in her life, but she knew her home was her era. Wherever her heart lead her. She thought of movies where people had homes in their significant other, but she couldn't say the same. Inuyasha was not home. Her ex-boyfriend was not home. She just had to go back to her era and find a place she belonged in.

She began to feel it, finally. The fear of going to Maiko. Her hands shuddered when she thought of going to confront her, of fighting her spiritual energy. She was scared of what demon was within her. Kagome could see nothing but terror.

But she also knew she had someone helping her – someone who had died in this era. _Who had been born within her_. Kikyo, the _miko_ who held Inuyasha's heart, was a part of Kagome now. Kikyo was guiding her. Kagome couldn't deny that she had a lot of help. Even if Kikyo was not someone she got along with when she had met the other woman, she knew that Kikyo now had to help her survive. Their souls were the same now.

When she came out, now dressed in a pair of jeans with a blue crop top (much to the stares of villagers), everyone else approached her. She said goodbye to the villagers, thanked Lady Akiko. She left all of her food and supplies behind in her hut, with instructions for everyone to take their share. She wanted them to have pieces of her to keep. She wanted to be sure she left her mark on these beloved people, who she would carry with her for the rest of her life.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara walked with her to the bone eaters well. It was a slow, solemn march there, with them surrounding her. She felt like she was going to leave. It really felt like, this time, she would never come back. She was slower than them, trying to keep their figures in her eyes. She took in Miroku's limp, Sango's strong walk and Shippo's strangely elegant but sly steps beside them. She took the way Kirara perched on her shoulder, and pet the little kitten with teary eyes.

When at last the bone eaters well was before them, she gave everyone a final hug.

She lingered when hugging Sango, and then let Kirara hop off of her shoulder. She turned her back to the well, and stared out at the Feudal Era one final time.

At the trees, the skies, the village at a distance. She stared at the _Goshinboku_, and then finally at her friends.

"I won't forget any of you," she said. "I'm going to miss everyone. Don't forget me, and whenever you need to talk to me… Just talk to the _Goshinboku_. I promise, I'll hear you. Because I'll be leaving my wishes for all of you there, too."

She closed her eyes, and could not help the tears. "These past few days, even though they weren't long, have been wonderful. I love every one of you."

They smiled at her, and she smiled back. Then she turned around, put one leg over the edge of the well – and looked back when she thought she saw a streak of red pass by her.

But nothing was there.

_Goodbye Inuyasha. Be safe, be happy. I'll love you until the end of my life._

And then she jumped into the well, and felt herself pass through, just as she did when she came here so many days ago. Her body passed through time itself, until she landed on her back, in the familiar, dusty, and bone-less well from her time.

She looked up, at the rooftop of the Higurashi Shrine wellhouse, and then closed her eyes.

She couldn't move, not because of pain, but because she had to just take in the ending of her journey.


	11. Chapter 11

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

After all, being home meant telling everyone why she went back, how she went back and what she did there. Kagome had to come up with a reason for her abrupt decision. She knew her mother would not ask, but she was entitled to knowing where her daughter had been for so many days. They would want to know how Inuyasha was doing. Kagome had no answers for them. She didn't want to say what happened with Maiko, for fear of alerting her family to the presence of demons even in their own time. She wanted to help, but she wanted to do it by herself. She would have to tell them she had no answers for now, at least, until she could explain everything in her own terms. Her words were still caught in her throat from seeing everyone for the last time. The surge of emotions she had on saying goodbye to Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara were still in her veins. She felt lightheaded from the lack of sleep, the physical and mental exhaustion. She was beginning to see that her entire life was just caught in the past. To push it to the future, to live in the now, she had to help Maiko.

The final steps of this journey were not far from her, in the place called Ishiguro Shrine. She would have to go, but not now, not this moment.

She stood up, brushed her legs off with her hands. The way she looked now was almost the same as when she left, save the change of clothes. She quickly climbed up the well, and then stretched her legs. She found it had been closed in the time she had been gone, but not locked. When she opened the door, she heard a surprised gasp. Sota, who had been sweeping nearby, raced over to her and wrapped his arms around her. The tall, lanky sibling she had come to love was with her again. She wrapped arms around him in return, and felt something like solace. Maybe the key to moving on was having these beloved people around her. Her mom, grandpa and Sota loved her so dearly. She could find her way even if she was in the shadows of the legendary past she had helped save.

Sota released her, and called everyone else over. She was ushered inside, told to go take a bath and given food, warmth. When she had a moment to sit down after being babied, with her mother beside her, no one asked her what happened. She was beyond grateful for the silence. It meant more to her than the noise. She had to prepare herself for the battle she would face on entering Ishiguro shrine. In her mind, she assumed silence and solitude were the way for her spiritual energy to slowly grow. She had never used it here, beyond that time at Ishiguro Shrine. Now, she would need the full strength of it to combat someone who may be more powerful than Kikyo. A demon of strength that could take a _miko_ was one she would have to defeat.

She took out the _miko_'s hakama that was in her bag and laid it out on her bed. She looked at it, looked over it and tried to see if it was worth wearing. Did she need to look the part to feel it? Did she have to be a _miko_? She thought it over, at how the clothing would look ridiculous on her slender build, but also realised what it symbolically meant.

She was inheriting the village Kaede had left for her. She was the successor of a powerful miko – two powerful _miko_ – who died protecting. Kikyo had been honourable to the very end, choosing to die for another life. Kaede also died in the service of her village. Wearing these robes wouldn't mean being weak. The way she saw Maiko wear it, it meant being a successor to a tradition.

Strength of a woman.

Kagome slowly removed her clothes, folded them, and slipped on the haori. She tied it in place, soothed it over her skin. She slowly tied her hair, in a loose pony that didn't hold it up entirely, and looked over herself in the mirror. The woman looking back did look a little like Kikyo but was not Kikyo.

Instead, she saw the young Kagome looking back at her. She had forgotten just how much her own choices changed her. Kagome of the old was not afraid to wear this outfit. Kagome had been a powerful adversary, unable to take no for an answer from anyone. This outfit was Kagome, too.

She reached for Kaede's bow, soothed fingers over it. She put Miroku's ofuda in the pockets, and then thought over her readiness to do this. Maiko was waiting for her in the Ishiguro Shrine. The demon probably knew Kagome would come back. All Kagome had to do was go, and believe in herself.

Believe in the Kagome who ended Naraku's life.

Believe in the Kagome who loved her friends in the feudal era.

She nodded at her reflection, and then turned away. She made sure her window was open, if only to let breeze into the room. She felt goodsomehow about the power that it brought to her. Kagome Higurashi was going to finally save Maiko Ishiguro. She was not afraid.

* * *

Of course, she had never taken an uber in this outfit. The driver stared at her in astonishment. She gave his change, and when they arrived, she stepped out of the vehicle. Her first step felt heavy. She could sense the shrine had darkened since she last came. Or perhaps this was an attempt to scare her away. For some reason, since she had last been here, she felt an ominous presence. Her spiritual power had heightened, and she could feel something creeping out to meet it. Her driver went away without another word, leaving her to take the steps forward alone. She had known this was going to happen, had known it would be her alone fighting the demon within Maiko. But she had never thought it would be quite this terrifying.

In her own mind, she hoped she still had the guidance she needed to stop all of this.

She walked towards the Shrine, where the presence was concentrated. The prayer building, which housed the Shinto deities, was opened. Inside, she could see the figure of a woman. Kagome approached slowly, each step deliberate. She could see she was being anticipated by the woman inside. Maiko was awake, and she was praying. To see a demon praying to deities, if indeed it was a demon that was in control now, made Kagome anxious. Perhaps it had to pray to keep using Maiko's spiritual energy. What was certain was that Kagome could feel the devoid spiritual energy around Maiko. It was powerful, but somehow tainted. It covered her from head to foot, emanating from her in ways Kagome could just now describe. She was a powerful _miko_, and had she not been possessed, Kagome imagined she could perhaps be as good as Kikyo.

She took the three steps up to the prayer room, and felt spiders brush past her feet. She only looked down momentarily, to see them all scurrying away. Her eyes narrowed. Why spiders? She didn't understand. It was as if they surrounded Maiko. But few demons had any ties to domestic insects. Spiders were familiar, but not for the reasons Kagome could place. Who else had used spiders? Where had she had ties to one in the past?

Her first step into the prayer room caused everything to go still. Kagome mustered up her strength, and waited for Maiko's first move. When the other woman did not move from her kneeling position, Kagome assumed she was waiting for Kagome to say something.

Should she say something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? A catchphrase? Or should she just plainly announce her intent? What did someone say to a demon? Kagome needed to show she was not afraid. But she wanted to be plain about it. Maiko was not going to stay possessed.

Her friends, this world, and the future depended on it.

"Maiko, I'm here to set you free," Kagome announced. "If the demon that is possessing you is here, let it out. I can… I will stop it." Her hand reached into her pocket, to produce an ofuda. She kept it inside her pocket, unable to resist peering at Maiko.

Maiko had beautiful, long, wavy black hair. It was thick, despite the fact that most wavy hair was often unruly. She kept it loose, and wore the _miko_ hakama. Kagome admired the fact that Maiko was a beautiful person, at least in her mind. The red eyes she had seen were terrifying, but all familiar.

Kagome had seen all of this before. But it was not connecting. Who had she met with similar features? In this time, or in another? Kagome had been in two different eras, met different people. Some were connected, some were not. She recalled Kikyo's inner warning to her about what she was awakening. She recalled just how dangerous it was to truly fight Maiko. But she was afraid of what she would find out.

"You still understand nothing, Kagome," was the response given to her.

The voice that spoke back was low, husky and cold. Kagome could not imagine the voice fitting the woman she had seen sleeping. But it was not deep, nor heavy. This was the voice that naturally fit Maiko. She took a step forward, ready to throw the ofuda, but felt an unusual need to wait. What would Maiko say to her? What did she not understand? She knew she was ready to do this, but somehow, she felt as if she'd missed something. She was not understanding how a demon could use Maiko's spiritual energy.

This entire confrontation felt weak, somehow.

Slowly, Maiko stood. She was inches taller, but she posed a slim, and intimidating figure. She did not turn around without completing her bow to the deities, and even then, remained imposing. Kagome stayed frozen where she was, taking in how Maiko was completely commanding. Then the past few days kicked in, and she tried to do it again. Separating the spiritual energy from the demonic energy. Just as she did when they went to rescue Shippo, she tried to find where it existed. In a void, where things could not touch. She could see the spiritual energy, she could feel the presence of it, looming over Maiko.

But the demonic energy was not there. There was none. And it concerned her now that she could see it was missing. A demon would need demonic energy. It was not demonic energy at all. Maiko was the one who was causing the absence within this space. Maiko was the source of everything, and no demon was connected to her at all. Kagome's hold on the ofuda stopped. She knew Miroku said it would only subdue demons. She couldn't use it on Maiko, who was not possessed at all. Now that Kagome knew her spiritual energy far better than she had before she came to the feudal era a second time, she knew there was no demon present here. The negative source **was Maiko**, and she was more powerful than Kagome had imagined. Something negative stirred within Maiko.

Kagome readied herself, by allowing spiritual energy to fill her. She felt it inside of her veins, around her body. She could almost taste it. She was powerful again, at the level she had been when she confronted Naraku years ago. She had the prayers of her friends and family behind her.

"You're not possessed by a demon at all…" Kagome's voice sounded unsure. She had no idea what this meant. Why would someone who was a _miko_ have such a negative aura? What happened at this shrine six years ago? Why was Maiko so _negative_?

Slowly, Maiko turned to Kagome. The red eyes Kagome had been haunted by peered at her, and the pale faced, beautiful girl continued to look at her. It was as if being confronted by someone else Kagome had known for years. Someone who had haunted Kagome as a teenager. Something about Maiko was striking such familiarity, in accord with Kagome's past. A being she had thought long deceased, maybe over five hundred years ago? In Kagome's heart, the answer was already there, the moment Maiko's lips lifted into a _smirk_, one that showed something of powerful disdain within her heart. Kagome immediately let her hands out of her pockets, fisted them, and frowned.

In her mind, again, Kikyo's warning played out. Over and over. _It was born in her, like Kikyo was in me. It was born in her like Kikyo was born in me. _She had to keep repeating it, and repeating it, and regretted not having realised this before.

And Maiko almost seemed to know Kagome finally understood.

Kagome's head hurt, her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't believe what she'd thought, the idea that it could happen. Her shaking hands, the ghastly expression Kagome knew she had on her face, and her involuntary step back, told Maiko everything she needed to know.

The other woman stepped towards Kagome, and in her step, Kagome saw the shadow of the person she had never thought could exist in her realm. Her era was safe. It had no demons, it had no powerful entities ready to strike. This was somewhere she had thought was safe.

But Maiko was not possessed. This was different.

Kagome's gasp, when Maiko lifted her hand, was a sign that anything could be dangerous now. She felt the spiritual energy pressure increase, with Maiko's powerful spiritual energy consuming Kagome. "When you first came here, I didn't recognise you at first," Maiko answered, with a step forward. She was closing in on Kagome, who didn't know how to approach this. Kagome took a step towards the side, forcing Maiko to step to the side. "My memories have been _returning_, and I didn't look far back enough to know that you **are her**. To think you came from this place, to think you were the one who **killed me**."

Maiko took a step with Kagome, intending to keep her locked here, in this gaze. Kagome couldn't form words. She wished she'd realised this when she was in the feudal era, where she could have really had help. But who could help her? Who could imagine that something like this could happen?

"And now that I've found you, I'm going to end you, Kagome. I've been waiting **five hundred years**, to find you," Maiko seemed to sneer. She was not the elegant miko that Kikyo was, nor was she kind. This was something else, of an entirely different emotion. Kagome finally felt herself trip – on a spider that had positioned itself, and landed on her back. Sitting up quickly, she tried to summon forth her spiritual energy, but she was shaken.

Maiko stepped forward, and her face lacked emotion, if only for a moment. Kagome's voice finally came out of her throat, choked, panicked.

"How? How was Naraku reborn? This is impossible..!" she shrieked. She knew she sounded panicked. All of her help in the feudal era had not been ready for this. Maiko seemed to smile again, and her hand lifted to press a finger to her temple.

"If Kikyo could be reborn in the modern era… Why can't **Naraku** be reborn? Why can't his reincarnation be a miko?" she asked. She knelt down, infront of Kagome, and seemed to lean in. Kagome could smell the tinge of faint lavender and something foul off of Maiko. No wonder Maiko had not died. Finally, everything settled into Kagome's mind. The fire six years ago, had likely been at the time that Kagome had killed Naraku, ended his existence with a single arrow. With Naraku's death, something must have burst into flames in the modern era, allowing Maiko to awaken her _past reincarnation_.

Had Naraku's freed spirit returned to his reincarnation in the modern era?

How had Kagome never realised Naraku had been reincarnated into her childhood playmate? How was this possible?

So many questions, so few answers. When Maiko's hand reached out, Kagome let out a loud scream, and held her hands up in defense. Her reaction caused her spiritual energy to surround her hands, and Maiko cowered away from the touch with a seething sound. The other girl gripped her hand, and it almost pulsed with pain. Kagome felt herself push her back, with the power she had awakened while in the feudal era again. She almost felt Kikyo helping her, with the strong push of her _pure_ spiritual energy. She let out a powerful yell, and finally managed to keep Maiko away from her, with her eyes open to stare at the distance between them.

_I have to rely on myself. No one else is here to stop Naraku… Stop Maiko. Maiko is evil. _

Kagome let out a sound, full of fear, and scrambled to stand up. She stayed where she was, and took in how Maiko seemed to be in pain. Her body was probably still weak from what happened in the fire. The conflicting reports of Maiko saving her brother, of her surviving unnaturally, were obviously true. Maiko had no idea she was Naraku until after the fire. But now that she knew, she had the same foul intent as Naraku. There was something amiss in this entire tale, and Kagome didn't know if she wanted to hear more of it. Beings full of anger and hatred rarely needed real intent. Naraku despised Kagome, despised Kikyo, and as such, his reincarnation suddenly did too.

Gone was the need to go save Maiko. Kagome's entire intent had been thrown askew by this realisation. "You'll die tonight, Kagome," Maiko whispered, in a low voice. Her hand brushed her hair aside, and she looked over at Kagome. She slowly stood up, mirroring Kagome.

She felt another build up of immense spiritual energy. _She's trying to subdue my spiritual energy. I can't fight her now, I have to get away—but how do I-…._

Until she suddenly heard someone crash through the doorway towards her. She heard a sword smash into the ground infront of her, with a sudden amount of building bursting. Kagome let out a loud scream when something jumped infront of her, with a thud. Her hands lifted to shield her eyes from the smoke. Someone had interrupted her entire confrontation with Maiko, setting off the entire atmosphere. The spiritual energy that had previously been so stagnant was interrupted entire by the presence of demonic energy, in large amounts, completely throwing everything aside.

When the smoke cleared, Kagome could see silver hair, a red haori, and a powerful sword. The sword was a fang she saw many times in her deepest dreams, protecting her, fighting demons. She saw the confident stance, with a powerful upper body and strong jaw. She saw someone she had never thought to see in all of six years, standing before her, in an era he had never been born in but went to many times.

As the smoke continued to clear, Kagome could see Maiko's shocked expression, mirroring Kagome's own.

The man who stood between them had not changed since Kagome last saw him, and he easily moved his sword over his shoulder, allowing Kagome to take a glance over his jawline and his confident look. He didn't look back at her, but he stood infront of her, protecting her from Maiko. He was tall, perhaps taller than last time. She could make out the way time had made him even more powerful, perhaps because she had been told he was never in one place. She could see the same person she had not seen in six years, without having to even see his face.

He didn't move from where he was, or fade like some sort of a mirage. Unlike the version she had seen in the illusion Shippo made, or like her dreams, this version was real. And both she and Maiko could see it.

"You're not gonna get to lay a hand on Kagome, 'cause I'll break your hands before you can," his voice snarled, in a voice that Kagome heard over and over in her mind. She felt delirious.

And then, suddenly, the negative spiritual energy from Maiko increased, and increased. Kagome could feel it, but it did almost nothing to _him_. How did he come here? How did he know?

Kagome couldn't believe **Inuyasha** had come to save her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

There was no time to really look at him. Kagome had seen enough to know it was him – the same him she had not seen in six long years. The same Inuyasha who made her dreams nightmares, who left her longing for a warm embrace and amber eyes. She could see that his appearance disturbed Maiko just as much as it bothered her, if not more. The memories that Maiko had, despite never having directly met Inuyasha, were Naraku's memories of him. The Inuyasha who foiled his plans, lead him to his death. Inuyasha was never meant to be a factoring part of this battle, not a part of the complex equation that Maiko had likely developed to lure Kagome here alone. Few people knew Inuyasha could come to this era – even Kagome had assumed he could not after the well sealed six years ago. But he was here, and he was powerful and ready.

Where she was, her breath was caught in her throat. He didn't look at her, he didn't even give her a chance to reach out for him. Instead, he lifted the tetsusaiga and swung it down hard, leaving debris and a hard knock against the wooden shrine ground. Maiko seemed to take that initiative to lift her palm, and create something Kagome could recall from Kaede – a true _miko _could conjur a barrier. It was not difficult. Kagome, in her inexperience, had yet to learn to do this. But Maiko easily conjured one that took the brunt of Inuyasha's tetsusaiga. The barrier easily withheld against one strike.

When he lifted his blade to shout _kaze no kizu_, Kagome had to rush forward and grab his hand. She felt his body stiffen, maybe because she touched him. But she had no choice. The more she watched Maiko, the more she saw the signs of exhaustion in the other girl. Maiko was in pain. "You can't use that in my era! Humans could die!" she shouted. He let out an annoyed growl and pushed her away, opting instead for letting his weapon return to its dormant form, and using his claws.

But Maiko was not weak. Kagome had been wrong. What she never factored in was that Maiko was not possessed, she _was_ Naraku. The more Maiko had time to recover, the more powerful the barrier became. Until Kagome could see the spiritual energy crackling from it. She knew she couldn't break through the barrier, not without help from someone else. But even more terrifying was the fact that Maiko was beginning to look confident. Her step back, away from Inuyasha, suddenly made the entire room fall into perspective. They were in a shrine, in public. This was no place to have a battle. Maiko knew that, Kagome knew that.

But even more intense was the way Maiko suddenly put her hands to the side. "If he uses his sword, he risks letting all of modern Japan know about his existence," she sneered. Her hands moved infront of herself, into a prayer form. Kagome and Inuyasha both took steps back. The barrier was unbreakable, the entire situation disintegrated quickly. Kagome thought Inuyasha could be helpful, but in this world, he wasn't. She was the only one who could do anything.

Before she could really take a step forward, Maiko closed her eyes, and mumbled something. This was unfamiliar. "Let me teach you something. You are, after all, a _miko_ and my childhood _friend_. It is my duty to teach you," Maiko directed, at Kagome.

Her incantation was anything but good. Kagome could see the spiritual energy forming _something_, and it glowered in spiritual light. But the devoid spiritual light was so corrupt, Kagome could make out the thing being formed. It formed on the ground, white and full of agony. It slowly stretched out, painful white tendrils reaching out in agony. Kagome could see the way it formed a little tuft of white hair on its head, with a white ribbon. The eyes, devoid of life, were black and painful. It slowly moved until a single blade protruded through its abdomen.

The thing screeched, the sound loud, enveloping everything. And then it reared its head up and looked directly at Inuyasha. It let out an agonizing sound. Kagome knew Inuyasha had no idea what it was saying, but for some reason, Kagome understood every word.

"_YOU DIDN'T SAVE ME!"_

Her hands shook, and she took a step back, immediately aware of how far this had gone out of hand. The creature slowly moved from all fours onto its feet, with the little kimono it wore slowly showing as tattered from the center. The face, of a young girl, was one Kagome saw many times before six years. A little girl in an orange kimono, with bright brown eyes, who travelled with a _daiyokai_. A girl who had been in Kaede's village, about to become a young woman under human tutelage. This girl was supposed to be alive, although Kagome had never questioned how.

This girl, who was supposed to be alive, let out an agonizing screech, with the sound making Kagome feel even more of the unbearable agony. _"SESSHOMARU-SAMA DIDN'T SAVE ME!"_ it yelled, in that unintelligible language.

Kagome couldn't help her scream, and it made Inuyasha immediately turn around. "You stupid wench, what's wrong with you?! She's trying to scare y—" he began.

The distraction was enough. _The creature_ leaped out with a clawed hand and dug itself into Inuyasha's back. The claw dug in so deep that Kagome could almost see the blood. All while Maiko watched on behind the creature with a smile.

A smile.

Kagome let out a horrified scream and rushed forward to grab onto Inuyasha when he lurched forward. She imagined it hurt, because this was spiritual energy that was entering him. Devoid of anything but spiritual energy, _the creature_ was a manifestation of someone who had died. Kagome had never seen this kind of power from a _miko_, but she knew Naraku had been a master of these tricks. Maiko was likely fueling her power with his memories. It was too much for her, it was too much for _Inuyasha_ too.

When her hands grabbed his shoulders, he turned around and managed to use a claw to wipe the arm away. It stung him more to grab the arm than the stab itself, but he managed to anyway with a searing sound.

Then he looked at Kagome for the first time in years, and grabbed her by the hips.

"Hang on," he told her, and then he lifted her and leaped out of the door.

They were leaping away from the shrine grounds, with the sounds of the creature screaming inside of the prayer house filling the air. Where Kagome could see it, she could see Maiko smirking from inside. Maiko, with her red eyes and wavy black hair. Maiko, who was Naraku. Maiko, who had somehow brought an agonized Rin back to torment anyone who hadn't saved her.

Too much to process had happened at once, and Kagome felt it all pool inside of her – the exhaustion, and the fear. But she distinctly felt Inuyasha slip and lower her down when he approached the Goshinboku. They were back in the Higurashi shrine. Kagome feared it was too late now. If she stayed here, so many lives were at risk.

Maiko didn't want to hurt the people of this world, at least for now. Her focus was Kagome, and possibly anyone else who had been the cause of Naraku's demise. She quickly stood up, with an Inuyasha who was bleeding managing to stay on the ground. With all of her strength, she grabbed his shoulder and managed to lift him up. She felt his weight and it was terrifying to try to lift him. She slowly walked towards the well house, and kicked open the doors. The sound was deafening. When she did, she heard that agonized scream.

"_WHY DID YOU FORGET ABOUT ME, SESSHOMARU-SAMA!"_

Kagome felt tears pool down her cheeks, even as she dragged Inuyasha towards the well. She managed to put his arm over the well, and when he looked at her with half open eyes, she shook her head. Kagome knew he'd come to save her – maybe someone had sent him – but she knew this would be dangerous for the world she belonged to. She couldn't go back to a normal life in this world if Naraku was able to hurt her family, her friends. They wanted her, they would have to get her. She was going to be waiting here, to let Maiko know it was fruitless to find her.

With a nod, she whispered something, and then pushed him in.

The well flashed, and he was gone. Inuyasha, who had come into her life so suddenly, was also gone just as suddenly. Maiko could kill him, and whether Kagome wanted to or not, she was the only one who could stop her. But not here, and she had to lure Maiko away. If the well worked for Maiko, she would be in the Feudal Era, where decisions were playing on a much larger battlefield. Kagome was able to match her step for step there, with people to back her up who had defeated Naraku in the past. There was no use being afraid when she was confident in what she could do. A direct confrontation with Maiko was useless, but luring her into the Feudal Era wasn't impossible. Her and the horrid thing that might be _Rin_ could not exist in her time.

She waited until she heard the screen on the shrine grounds, and then clenched her fists together. Her lips thinned into a frown, and she watched Maiko slowly approach her from a distance. The other girl was still smiling, although Kagome could see the weakness in her steps. Despite being a gifted _miko_, Maiko was weak. It was clear she sustained heavy injuries from the fire six years ago, which worked in their advantage.

_When she approaches, push her inside_, the voice in her mind told her. _Push her back into the Feudal Era. Seal the well. You can do this._

She knew who was telling her what to do – that deep, somber voice. It was still Kikyo, telling her how to make a difference. Saving this world – her world – was more of a priority than staying here. If she couldn't help Maiko there, she would have to do something to harm her. But the priority was saving her home, her family.

Maiko finally approached inside of the well house, in slow, deliberate steps. The agonized creature was steps behind her, crawling on all fours. Kagome had no idea how Rin died, but the blade through her abdomen was the most terrifying part of her appearance. It resembled the happy girl Kagome remembered, but the entire thing was so corrupt. Kagome had to put an end to it – but she would need help for that.

When Kagome stood still, she put every fiber of her acting into place. She tried to look terrified. She tried to seem as if Inuyasha was not here moments before, by gripping the edge of the well and giving Maiko the horrified look she wanted to see. When Maiko seemed confident, she moved forward without _Rin_ and reached out to let her fingers grab Kagome's face. She didn't seem afraid at all, despite being the one in poor physical condition. Like Naraku, her hubris was so powerful, she didn't believe Kagome could do something to harm her.

She couldn't be more wrong.

As soon as she was close enough, Kagome grabbed her by the shoulders and turned them around. She pushed Maiko, with all of her strength, down into the well. It wasn't hard, but the strength of the push was so much that Kagome almost fell forward. As soon as Maiko was pushed backwards into the well, Kagome saw the shock on her face.

_I'm not weak. I'm not unprepared. I'm so tired of people underestimating me. I will not let someone hurt my friends. _

Maiko continued to drop, until the well glowed. The colour was blinding, but it signalled she had somehow gone through the well, leaving Kagome's concern for when she arrived on the other side apparent. Maybe she wouldn't survive the fall. Maybe she'd die on the way down. But regardless, Kagome couldn't let her stay on this side of the well.

When she was about to seal the well – as if she knew how to – she heard the creature behind her also jump. Kagome stepped aside in time for it to sink into the well, following after Maiko.

Kagome stayed still, watching it fizzle through. Now that was **four** people who could use the well – herself, Inuyasha, Maiko and the creature that was Rin. Kagome didn't know why either of them could. All that mattered was that she had done it. She could seal the well and then continue her life. She could leave Maiko to the Feudal Era.

A Maiko who was still human. Who was weak. Who didn't know what she was doing.

Kagome clenched her fists. She stayed still.

Then she leapt over the well.


	13. Chapter 13

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Kagome landed on her feet this time. She had been prepared to see Maiko laying on the bottom of the well, injured or _dead_ but neither was there. Maiko was missing. The well was empty, save for the hollow sound of silence. Kagome felt bones crunch under her feet, cringed, and then looked up to the top of the well. She could see the Feudal Era, and she could see the way trees loomed over her head. She felt a little sense of nausea from what she knew she was about to do. As she gripped some vines to climb her way up, she felt her body's exhaustion in how she could almost not limber her way to the top. Her heartbeat against her chest was powerful. She would have to seal the well now that Maiko was on this side of it, and could travel through.

If she knew she could, in any case.

Kagome had confidence that Maiko had no idea she could travel through the well. They were already in a position where Kagome knew the rules of both worlds – Maiko and her memories of Naraku didn't give her knowledge of the intimate spaces between the worlds that Kagome had.

When Kagome was on both feet, standing infront of the well, she took one look down it. At her world, at her time. At the path to the people she loved. She took a look at what may be the last time she could pass through, with her misfortune. She might be stuck in the Feudal Era, stuck in a time where she'd have to confront Inuyasha, and tell everyone what she's been through for the past six years. Every agonizing memory from her past would return.

But all of this was fine, as long as they were safe. Maiko could hurt innocent people with her powers. Maiko and Naraku could not be unleashed on the modern era.

Kagome slowly let her hands reach out to the well, fingers curling around the wooden side. Her lips thinned into a frown, and she thought of how to seal. She had never done _real_ things that a _miko _would do. Six years ago, it was good enough that she could use an arrow and occasionally use spiritual energy to push things away. Sealing, creating and even seeing spiritual energy was not something she had ever really awakened. But she had done remarkable things since coming back here. Saving a _daiyokai_, using her spiritual energy to destroy a powerful illusion, and even stopping Maiko. All of this was the power of a true _miko_, and Kagome would allow herself to bask in the remarkable discovery she made through it. Kagome had to know how to seal.

_I just need to use my spiritual energy… And if I seal the well, I'll save my family. And one day, I'll learn to break seals too. That way, I can go home again._

She put on a sad smile, and then allowed spiritual energy to fill her palms. It slowly covered the well, and heated it. Kagome focused, with eyes closed and lips in a frown. Her straining face made clear just how difficult this was. Sealing a well with old magic already keeping it powered was something she had never considered doing. But she could imagine it was possible. She had to do it.

When she felt something touch her hands, she only had to look up for a moment to see Kaede standing alongside her, one hand on Kagome's. The same one who helped Kagome when she first came here. She felt spiritual energy course into her. Kagome slowly closed her eyes, eased her face, and trusted the spiritual energy within her. _Kaede saw power in me. Kikyo saw power in me too. I have to believe I'm strong enough to do this._

Then she felt something crackle, and then seal. It felt as if something washed over her, and filled the area around her in waves. When the feeling seemed to end, Kagome slowly let her spiritual energy subside, and opened her eyes to take a look at the well.

It looked the same. But much to Kagome's relief, she could see spiritual energy covering it. She hoped it was enough to keep Maiko from breaking it. She had no idea how these worked, and she had no idea just how powerful Maiko was.

She gripped the well one last time, and lamented that she would have to spend more time here. She may have to work with Inuyasha. She would have to finally tell them everything she now understood about Maiko, even if it was the last thing Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, _and_ Inuyasha wanted to hear.

Kagome turned around, and came face to face with Inuyasha. Although he was standing, Kagome could see where the spiritual energy from the distorted creature had struck him in the back. He was a little taller than before, but he looked the same as he did then. Demons never aged, she had to remind herself. His eyes were the same soft amber she imagined before. It was his expression that she remembered best though. He had the same expression when she left, that day six years ago when he told everyone he preferred mourning Kikyo. He hadn't seemed sad that she was leaving. He was sad that he had to tell her he was.

He never had to. Kagome heard. She left because she didn't want to see his face like that again. To see him have to tell her directly just how much Kikyo meant to him. Kagome had felt it every time Kikyo was around him. Memories were powerful, and Kagome herself knew just how powerful memories were. Hers of Inuyasha lasted years, made it hard for her to move on from him. She let herself ruin her life until she got it back together, and would let it happen again if he kept staring at her like that.

Every time he ran into some situation to save her, it made her beyond weak. Kagome wasn't sure of what else to say to him. To those eyes telling her she shouldn't be here. On this side of the well, she would have to deal with painful truths of years ago. He probably had no idea how much he affected her, how hard her life was when she had to leave him behind. He was oblivious to the pain her teenage heart felt every time she thought back to Inuyasha for years and years. She had a boyfriend who felt like he was worth nothing when Inuyasha was on her mind. How many times in a day did she cry when she first left? In anxiety, she was aware of just one thing. Inuyasha was trouble for Kagome. He was never the one she was supposed to be with. To be able to face him meant questioning every time she thought she won him over, thought he was hers. He was not hers. No one would ever come to understand why she couldn't move on from someone who made her life so miserable.

But he just looked at her that way, and looked, until she finally had the nerve to say something – "Inuyasha…" – in a voice that sounded just as sad as she felt.

Their real reunion was now. Where he had to talk to her. Where she could not run away anymore. "—I.. just," she began, in a shaking voice. How much was there for her to say? How could she describe seeing him, actually seeing him, for the first time in six years? It caught up in her, until her throat felt sore and her eyes felt watery. She swallowed nervously. It was worse than every teenage breakup movie she'd ever seen. She never felt so humiliated in her life. She had to wonder how people dealt with it.

Inuyasha said nothing. But he looked. It was so unlike him. She couldn't help but wonder how much of this was the fact that Kikyo was still on his mind. Maybe he looked at her and only saw Kikyo. Maybe it was the robes. Or her hair. Or her eyes. Kikyo's hair, Kikyo's face, and Kikyo's eyes.

Kagome took a step back, and felt the hard wood of the well against her back. Her gaze stayed on him, sickeningly memorizing every last detail. His skin, his face, his lips. Nothing about him was uninteresting. He was still someone she found herself loving for every last bit, every last problem. He was so flawed that she still loved everything. Even the fact that he left her for Kikyo's memories.

When she couldn't bear it anymore, she was ready to run. She could run to the village, run in another direction. Run away from all of the stress and pain of having to tell him, face to face, that he hurt her. But Kagome was not ready for that right now, and it was apparent Inuyasha wasn't either. Before he could say a word, his mouth did open, they heard the sound of Sango shouting from nearby.

Much to Kagome's relief, Sango came running from shrubbery, followed by Miroku and Shippo. They stopped when they caught the position Kagome and Inuyasha were in, along with the delicate way Kagome looked. "You saved her!" Sango exclaimed, in excitement. When she ran over, it was obvious that she and Miroku had convinced Inuyasha go through the well. Kagome had thought as much. There was no way that Inuyasha would have gone through himself. He had no ties to Kagome, had no ties to her world. The well worked for him, although she had no idea why. Kagome knew he was only there because his friends had insisted. Her life was not as important on its own.

_He had no way of knowing I was in danger. We're not connected like that. _

"I didn't do anything," he finally said, in a voice that sounded as haughty as always. Ordinarily, she would have disagreed or something. But right now, hearing his voice made her throat well up. Her eyes closed, and her cheeks felt watery. She let out a little sound of distress, that Sango picked up immediately. She seemed to move closer, forcing Inuyasha to step away.

Was the pain of Kagome's loss of love so big that everyone noticed?

Sango slowly moved to give Kagome a hug, her arms in an awkward, but warm embrace around Kagome. And Kagome couldn't help but sink into the hug. She couldn't help but notice how she couldn't even talk to Inuyasha. Six years had done everything to make sure she wanted to stay away from him. Not only was he the person who hurt her the most, but he embodied everything about this era that made her feel lost and alone. She let herself sink into Sango's arms, and when Sango pulled away, she let herself release a big sigh of relief. "I'm okay, but it's worse than I thought," she admitted.

She could hear that entire battle, Maiko's revelations and the agonized Rin that Maiko created, still in her mind. She could forget it while looking at Inuyasha, but she could never forget hearing the truth about Maiko.

"_If Kikyo could be reborn in the modern era… Why can't __**Naraku**__ be reborn? Why can't his reincarnation be a miko?"_

She was Naraku. Kagome knew she could not handle this on her own now that she'd seen what Maiko truly was. Inside and out, Maiko was the very same thing Kagome had fought for three long years in the Feudal Era. Now that she was older, more cautious, she knew better than to underestimate foes. Maiko had shown she had power Kagome couldn't understand. It would take a long time for Kagome to really be able to master her abilities. Maiko had a lifetime of training, and Naraku's vile thoughts. She let herself let out a shaky breath, and then followed everyone to the village.

Inuyasha walked behind her. And she could feel his gaze on her the entire time. Probably wishing he hadn't come back.

* * *

Sango presented something to her. The black skirt and blue sweater were left behind, by Kagome, for Sango. She had thought Sango would need something nice to wear. Hoped she'd see her in it. But seeing it made Kagome happy. She had her own clothes here, even if it was just one pair. She accepted it, hugged it to her chest, and changed into it in seclusion. When she was ready, she joined the others, feeling more like herself for not being in the hakama from earlier. Miroku, Shippo, Sango, Kirara, and Inuyasha were all seated around a fire. The village had given them enough privacy to let them discuss things on their own. Kagome couldn't imagine how she'd be confident infront of Inuyasha.

_I was unprepared and rushed into a situation. If they hadn't sent Inuyasha, I would have died. Maiko fooled me right until the end. Now I don't know what she's going to do. She has more power here. She can go where Naraku went, do what Naraku did. And I'm hopeless to stop her alone._

_I need them. I need Inuyasha too. If we stop her, we have a chance. I can go home, and go somewhere far away until I forget this._

_I need to tell them everything._

She sat down on the ground, and already noticed Inuyasha looking away. But the attention was entirely on her. Shippo seemed fine to sit closer to her, although his tensity was visible in how he sat. The beautiful, elegant version of Shippo was far more powerful than Kagome could expect anyone here to realise. Having so many powerful people with her made her feel confident. Kagome had no doubt that they could take out Naraku again.

"I thought she was possessed… But she was never possessed. When I went to confront her, I didn't see any demonic energy," Kagome admitted. "And when I realised that there was no way for a demon to possess her, she admitted who she was."

"I don't understand," Miroku interrupted. "But I was afraid of that much. Demons simply can't control spiritual energy. They would be able to control the body. Most _miko_ are too fortified for a demon to reside in."

"—But she _made_ a demon! Using her spiritual energy!" Inuyasha interrupted. It was his first outburst, and everyone paid attention. It was true. Kagome had seen it too. The thing that she created was crying for help, and was lost. It was Rin, who had never been able to be saved from the torment and torture she went through. Kagome could feel every inch of her react with sadness to what Rin went through. She had been stabbed, and she didn't know how. But she had been begging for Sesshomaru the entire time.

So many people were missing. Kohaku, Myoga, Sesshomaru, Jaken.. the list went on and on. _I have to know. I have to ask. I don't know how it happened or what happened. But it's important for me to know who went and when. Or Maiko could use this against us. I was too shocked to move, even though I knew who it was she brought to life. In a convoluted form. No medicine can help me. I have to rely on my spiritual power._

Finally, she had the nerve to speak up. "She's Naraku's reincarination," she said.

The silence that followed was terrible.

No one knew what to say.

It was hard to hear it. Kagome found it hard to hear too. How did it happen? Kikyo being reincarnated was a blessing, in some way. Kikyo who had spent her life repenting, saving lives, praying, had been reborn as Kagome. But Naraku, who had tormented, did not deserve being reborn. None of what Kagome was hearing had any level of coherency. But it was true. Kagome had seen signs since the beginning. Signs she ignored and tried to avoid. "Spiders have been around her shrine, following me home. She looks like him… A lot like him. I had a feeling she was familiar, but I never would have thought it was **Naraku**," Kagome admitted. She let her hand lift to press against her head. "In-.. _he_ came to save me, but Maiko _created_ something with her spiritual energy. It was _Rin_—the little girl with Sesshomaru! It was her! And she attacked Inuyasha with spiritual energy!"

Kagome's words were hitting everyone hard. Sango looked worried, and Miroku almost didn't know how to process it. It was stealing a glance at Inuyasha that revealed more. He looked disappointed. Because she refused to say his name? Because she was afraid of him? Or because she admitted that Naraku outwitted them all, even after his death? Kagome had failed to see the signs because she hadn't meet Maiko I over a decade. Maiko, back then, may not have been evil. "I don't know what this means, but six years ago, there was a fire in her home… and I think that was when she may have first awakened her memories," Kagome added, thinking back to the conversation. "She didn't say very much… But she's powerful. And she has his memories, a lot of them. I… Pushed her into the well—"

"You what?!" Inuyasha interrupted. His voice rose, and Kagome almost jumped. But the frightened look she had made her realise that she was afraid _for her life_. She hadn't dealt with his behaviour in so long. She hadn't seen him in so long. "I think she did the right thing, Inuyasha," Miroku interrupted. "Her era is different. If Maiko is here, we can take her down. Over there, Kagome would have to fight alone."

"I dealt with Naraku once! I don't wanna do it again," Inuyasha protested. With his words, Kagome felt her hope die in her chest. "I lost Kikyo once… I don't want to lose her anymore," Inuyasha added. Insult to injury.

Kagome swallowed and turned away from him. She closed her eyes, and looked at the fire. _He still mourns for Kikyo, even six years later. She's still the focal point of his life. And me? I'm just a troubled teenage girl who he knew. Who made a stupid mistake by pushing Maiko into his world. Now I'll have to fix her here. I'll be forcing Miroku, who has a child, Sango, who has a village, and Shippo who only just found himself, to help me… I'm so stupid._

"I know you're not very intelligent, Inuyasha," Shippo spoke up. It was his first words since they sat down. He'd been especially quiet. Kagome couldn't help but think Shippo had matured. He didn't shout aimlessly, and his taunts now were controlled. "But Kagome did the right thing. She's my friend, she's helped all of us countless times. She gave up her time to be here, hunting jewel shards with us. If you want to crawl back to wherever you were, spying on us from _tree tops_ and moping, go ahead. Kagome has the _daiyokai_ of the North now to help her."

He looked over at the others, and extended his hand out. "She has the greatest living Taijiya," he said, pointing at Sango.

"She has a _hoshi_ who survived eminent death to help her!" Miroku seemed to blush, almost.

He looked down at Kirara, and winked. "She has _Midoriko's partner_, to help her," he added, much to everyone's shock. Sango gasped down at Kirara, who suddenly seemed almost on the spot. For a moment, Kagome had to wonder who they were talking about. Midoriko? That was a long time ago, long before anyone here was alive. Kagome doubted even Sesshomaru had been alive then. Or Inuyasha's father himself. But the moment Shippo reached down for Kirara, she mewled and nuzzled his hand. "How-?" Sango asked.

"I've understood her lately," Shippo admitted. He smiled fondly over at Sango. Kagome felt the change of roles with Shippo was dizzying. Inuyasha's expression at Shippo was the most confused. No one here expected Shippo to be able to _finesse_ a conversation like this. "She told me that you reminded her of her old partner. I asked who it was. She said she's old, a lot of centuries old. And that Midoriko, her old partner, told her to go and find someone who would fight by her side. Someone who would stop demons and protect the jewel. Kirara found Sango."

A moment passed. Kagome didn't know what to say to Kirara.

How did she not know so much about her friends? All of them?

After a moment, Sango lifted Kirara up into a hug. And for a moment, there was something wonderful in the air. Maiko was off of their minds, if only to be amazed that Kirara was older than everyone here. "I have a question now," Miroku said. "Just how old are you, Shippo?"

Shippo let his thumb brush under his nose, with a grin. Kagome could see that youthful Shippo in him. It relaxed Inuyasha, who had otherwise been the oldest here. "I've been alive for over five hundred years," he admitted. His words made everyone gawk.

As they talked, as Inuyasha snorted at things, Kagome felt the atmosphere loosen for the night. They needed this. To think for now until Maiko could be found.

Until Naraku could be dealt with.


	14. Chapter 14

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

"I know this is gonna be tough to understand, but I may have to leave you guys behind sometimes to go see the North," Shippo explained, as everyone seemed ready to start a fire in the village center and tuck into makeshift futon beds with straw. It was the first time since this morning that they had all been together, ready to discuss anything. During that time, Kagome had helped Lady Akiko, Miroku went around blessing various homes, Sango dispatched some demons, Shippo seemed to gravitate to the children where he was asked about what he is relentlessly, and Inuyasha – disappeared. Kagome had watched him go into the forest, and to her dismay, he came back at night. The chores were all done. No one seemed ready to retire, but as the sun set, Kagome felt exhaustion overcome her. The days events coupled with the difficulties of what she had gone through went over her mind. She may have entirely avoided it, especially when she and Akiko helped set up the beds, but she could feel her body awash with exhaustion.

Finally, when they'd all lain down – Shippo choosing to lay on some straw leisurely instead of on a futon – they'd managed to lull themselves into a state of rest. "I suppose now is a good time to talk about where we will go next," Miroku began. He had his eyes open, looking up at the sky. "I will need to return to my temple and find someone to look after Sanyu. I have no intent to allow any of you to travel alone." Kagome could feel the maturity in his words. Miroku was no more the immature, perverse monk of the past. He had long since seemed accustomed to making decisions that would impact him with difficulty. His son, though, would be alone and learning more about being a _hoshi_ by himself. Kagome could only imagine what it did to someone of that maturity level. She had never had to do anything alone. But she supposed Miroku was going to teach him what he needed, the way Miroku learned.

Like an apprenticeship in her own time. She had seen knowledge passed on from a teacher to a student. _I wonder if Maiko learned the same way. Kikyo must have had a priestess teach her too. I didn't have a real teacher, so I have to learn now, and on my own. Maiko learned from Naraku's memories too… _

_If she's Naraku's reincarnation, why did she get memories? Why don't I have any of Kikyo's life?_

One look at Inuyasha told her why she didn't want those associations and memories. Inuyasha was a part of those memories. He was in every single memory with Kikyo, and Kagome would have to live through every touch, every kiss and every smile he gave her. Kagome would never be able to stand watching him give himself to someone else like that. She had memories with him that she was afraid might be erased forever. Memories of him kissing her, of hugs, of holding hands, of sweet moments where he saved her – these were her memories of Inuyasha, forever a part of her life. If Kikyo's memories were allowed to replace them, she would have nothing left of the love she had learned was a part of the fabrics of her soul. That made her very upset, made her realise she had nothing left if she lost him. With a tearful look, she turned away from him and looked at Shippo instead. She found it a thousand times better to contemplate everyone else, instead of Inuyasha. Already he'd been around her for only twelve hours, and it felt like forever. If he left the next day, she would need to recover again. Move on again. Find someone else who could make her forget.

"I've already put someone in charge of the village while I'm gone, so I should be fine to go now," Sango said. But then she brought up an entire different question. "Kagome. Did… she behave like Naraku?" The question was so unusual, but Kagome assumed it had been on Sango's mind all along. "I mean… You knew her as a child, too. Did this girl behave like him then? Or now?" What exactly was behaving like Naraku?

Kagome remembered Naraku well. Insanity, lust, desire, power and rage all circled the sinister and conniving demon they had fought for three years. These words were vices that associated with everyone. Kagome felt all of those at some point in her life. But they controlled him until they drove him into madness. He wanted Kikyo and the power to acquire her so badly that he tore lives apart searching for it. He haunted everyone, even after his eminent demise at Kagome's hands. If he had been like that, Maiko had been the opposite, at least visibly.

Kagome thought back to her childhood. She searched her mind for those playdates. Her mind drew a mental image of her father smiling at her, of grass and big trees. She could see Ishiguro Shrine, a magnificent plot hidden behind trees. She could see the most lively, fertilized green grass. It was marvelous and well taken care of by the family there.

And then she could see the little, dark haired girl, running in the grass. She could hear feet patter on the grass, chasing after her. She could see hands outstretched to grab Kagome, who was just beyond armsreach,

"_Ka-go-me! You're too fast!" _the girl shrieked. She was in sandals and trying to run after Kagome. The _miko hakama_ the girl wore slowed her down, probably because she was already unbalanced as a child. She had a smile on her face, though her skin was a sickly pale colour. Kagome couldn't remember her eyes. She could remember her hair was envyably long, with waves. She could remember rolling in grass, until someone came and told them it was time for prayers. She remembered once a week at least, at this magical shrine, with a girl who she considered her first friend. Kagome knew it had happened because she remembered no one liking her as a child in school. She had been made fun of, for her name and for the fact that she lived in a Shrine. But this girl at the shrine had been someone who accepted a young Kagome.

"Like… a bond formed before birth," Kagome whispered, drawing everyone back to her. Her eyes caught Inuyasha's first, and he looked surprised. Kagome flustered, if only because she hadn't thought she spoke aloud. Her memories of Ishiguro Shrine were not strong, but they let her see what she had forgotten over the years. Maiko had been a part of Kagome's life, an important part. They were real friends, who had been connected both by their families being close, and by some sort of precognitive understanding between them.

_Naraku had loved Kikyo… So it only makes sense that his desire to be around her may have been reincarnated too. They had some sort of a bond. So when Maiko and I were allowed to be around one another, it was Naraku and Kikyo reuniting too. But without the hatred of the past._

There were so many questions she didn't have an answer for. The simple coincidence that she had been friends with Naraku's reincarnation was too coincidental. Kikyo and Naraku were tied by Naraku's love for her, and Kikyo once looking after Onigumo. Kagome could only imagine what this meant for her and Maiko. Maiko hadn't been a bad person, not until the fire that took away her family.

What happened during the fire?

Did they have to kill Maiko?

When she stopped blanking out long enough to look up, she found Inuyasha narrowing his eyes at her. He was showing his confusion over what she was thinking. Kagome had to thin her lips, make a serious expression, and then let out a shrug. "I guess… She was normal. We were friends, we laughed together, we had parents who got along… I haven't seen her since I was five or six. When my father died, I stopped visiting that shrine," was her answer. She didn't want to bring up Kikyo. Inuyasha thought of her enough without Kagome's input. How would he react knowing Naraku had been around Kagome all that time ago, and it might be preordained? How would he react if he knew _Kikyo was still inside of Kagome_. Not well. "When I came home a week and a half ago, my mother told me the shrine she lived in burned down six years ago… I tried to find articles about it, but everything said it was a fire from inside, and the family all died. Maiko should have died. Now I understand her spiritual powers and _Naraku_ may have saved her."

"How the hell did you not know she wasn't possessed by a demon? You're supposed to be a _miko_," Inuyasha butt in, in a scowling voice. "Because I spent six years training to be a nurse! I'm not a _miko_. Naraku did bad things, and in no holy book in any part of the world was evil ever reincarnated as a _miko_!" Kagome yelled back.

Her rising voice made the entire situation more awkward. It was clear no one wanted to be a part of them fighting. Whatever had gone wrong, Inuyasha was the type to continue fighting. He would have shouted until he had his way.

But he didn't. Kagome watched him stand and turn to walk away. No word, no argument. Kagome was relieved, but also distressed. Why didn't he fight back? Why did he let everyone win all of the arguments? What happened to the Inuyasha she used to know?

_Time changed him. Maybe not physically, but he's changed inside. Mourning Kikyo made him afraid of losing more people. I can tell he wants to protect everyone here, except me. But I'm making that difficult. Maiko is my fault. Her being here is my fault. If I could push her back over the well, I would. Anything is better than his glare._

She turned around, pulled her thin blanket up, and let out a sigh.

No one else said a word.

He didn't come back.

An hour, two hours, then three passed. She still kept her eye out for Inuyasha. He never came back. Part of her was glad, but another part was concerned. She had more time to think than she liked, sleeping this early meant she thought about the creature Maiko had created. It had been Rin, and it had hurt Inuyasha with pure spiritual energy. Although it was beyond corrupted, she knew demons and spiritual energy did not mix. Kagome remembered so much about Inuyasha, and it almost gave her a headache. She wanted to protect him, but the reality was, she had to protect herself too. Their conflict was beginning to become tedious. Ridiculous even. Kagome didn't think Inuyasha understood how hard it was for her to be here.

_In his mind, I'm probably just here to bug him. He has no idea how hard it is for me to be here, how hard it is to watch him reject me over and over again. Every time he open his big mouth, it hurts __**me**__. He could care less what happens to me!_

She huffed, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore her conscience. But her conscience had the sound of the trainee nurse from her program in University, and she said, in that American English accent: _"You can't ignore a patient in trouble if you think you can help. You're breaking every agreement signed under your contract if you do, I don't care where you are or what you're doing!"_

She let out a heavy sigh and sat up. She carefully stood, avoided waking anyone up, and turned to walk into the forest. She knew she was worrying a little too much about Inuyasha. He wasn't good for her, wasn't good enough for her. But she was drawn to him without ever wanting to be. When someone spent three years cementing themselves into her personality, she couldn't remove them. It was as if she had been born to be in love with him. She loved him even though she knew he didn't love her back. Love and her oath to her job made her go to check on him, even though she knew heartbreak was what waited for her. More heartbreak and more agony.

She finally found him sitting ontop of Goshinboku. His eyes were closed, but the way he was positioned, he was facing the well. His back was pressed into the wood. He was hiding the injury, even though Kagome could see it. She approached carefully, foosteps soft, unable to really wake him. He looked peaceful with his eyes closed. He didn't look at all like the angry person who had been yelling at her. Everything he said to her so far had shown he didn't want her around. He didn't need her. So why was she trying so hard for him? Did her foolish, teenage self still exist, and believe he'd love her back?

_No. But I can't help that I care for him. I've loved him for so long… It's second nature for me to want to help him…_

When she stopped at the base of the tree, she saw his eyebrows twitch. And then she heard his annoyed sound. "What do you want?" he asked, or demanded. Kagome could hear the lack of interest in his voice. He really meant, go away. She felt her facial expression turn into a frown, but she couldn't erase the concern. Her hands gripped her skirt tightly. "You-… You didn't come back to the camp," she started. His eyes opened, and he glared at her. She had seen that glare so many times six years ago, but it unnerved her now. This was a stranger she was talking to. Her lack of experience with this Inuyasha meant he was able to do what he wanted, and it frightened her. Kagome felt powerless at times. She swallowed, nervously, and waited for the retort. For the insult. For something to show he hated her. She had come here looking to be abused, for wanting to help him.

"Yeah? So what? I didn't go back," he responded. No retort, no telling her to go away. It sounded like a dismissal. He didn't even want to argue with her. She felt defeated by him feeling defeated. Slowly, she approached the tree, and pressed her hand to the notch in the wood. The one where Kikyo's arrow had struck Inuyasha, and pinned him for fifty long years. She closed her eyes, and took in the feeling. She had freed him once. The memory was one of her favourites. He had been so powerful, so handsome and so confident. That Inuyasha was the one she met, and she slowly fell in love with all of him. Now, she wasn't connecting with him. She didn't know how she could.

Did she want to?

How could she get along with him, when he didn't even want to? Did he understand she would leave soon? Did he think she planned to stay forever and torment him? She slowly formed some sort of a way to assure him this wasn't permanent. She would go back. She didn't need to be a problem for all of them forever. When she opened her eyes, and looked up, he was still looking at her. Confused, probably even irritated.

"Look, I won't be here forever," she began. She moved her hand back to her side, but leaned against the tree. Her back against it, until she could slide down and sit against it. She'd been in this position in her time, just after she escaped Maiko's shrine and came home to cry. This tree was her sanctuary too. She saw it and felt a connection to him. Her strength. Now, she had to find a way to sever that bond and make her own strength. Inuyasha was not her strength. "I know you don't want to go through all of it again… And I don't either. I have a life, I have a future, but I've been drawn back here where my life is at risk and my loved ones _have no idea what will happen to me_. But I'm following my duty. My duty to protect and to stop Maiko."

Inuyasha seemed to look surprised. Something in her words must have struck him. Maybe her saying she moved on already. Kagome could pretend she did. She could pretend she had no feelings for him. The reality stayed with her. She hoped if she spent enough time around him, she could pretend better, and better. This time, she would not give into her feelings and hope his would change, like she did as a teenager. This time, she would let him go, and finally be herself. "I have to stop her. But I can't do it alone. You were always important to Miroku, Sango and Shippo. They need you to help. So if you… if you feel like you can help, it will only help all of us return to our normal lives quicker," she finished.

Silence finally came over her, and she closed her eyes. She felt cold air against her face, but the overall exhaustion she also felt was taking over her now. So much in one day. Talking to Inuyasha made her feel weak, dizzy. But she had no tears left to cry and she refused to show them to him. She was strong enough to last through Inuyasha for now. Until the others could distract her from his influence on her.

When she moved to stand up, she heard him jump down infront of her. Her eyes met his, again, but the distance between them was visible both physically and in how they looked at one another. He was looking through her. Maybe because he could only see her as Kikyo's reincarnation. And she wanted to look away, because she wanted to stop loving him. "Go back, you're probably worrying them," were his words. She didn't have it in her to argue. Instead, she took the first aid kit, and produced a large, square bandage. It was sterilized, and easily fit over healing wounds. She didn't want to touch him, and so she resorted for holding it out. "You can ask Miroku to apply it to your back. Take the sticker off, put it on the wound. It'll heal quicker," she explained, mechanically. This was part of her job, but she couldn't do it herself.

She dropped the bandage, and he caught it. Without a word, she walked around him and back to the camp. To sleep, to not having to see him in her dreams.

But she dreamt of him anyway. Because Inuyasha was her dream.


	15. Chapter 15

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Her eyes opened, and she found someone kneeling over her. The gentle figure had long black hair, pale skin, and a thin appendage that gripped Kagome's hand. Startled, Kagome sat up and backed away. After all, she knew Maiko had these very features, and she had fallen through the well all the same. With wide eyes, Kagome stared at the woman who looked back at her.

No, this woman was not the same age as Kagome. Despite being virtually younger, she had a much more somber, serious expression. This was Kikyo. The very same one who had finally put herself to rest six years ago. This Kikyo was not the gray, sickly Kikyo who had been walking the Earth as the undead. This was a living Kikyo, with pale skin and gentle eyes. She looked at Kagome as if she were looking at someone familiar. Kagome could sense warmth from her skin, and feel the presence of life. Was this the reflection of Kikyo within Kagome? Kagome could almost feel as if the other woman was alive, and able to communicate with her. Kagome could only imagine just what this meant to anyone else who saw her. When she looked around, the others were gone. They were alone. This was obviously not reality. This had to be a reflection, where her inner self could speak to her.

"You did the right thing," Kikyo spoke, in a gentle voice. The surrealness of having a conversation with the woman who despised her in "life" was making Kagome stiff in anxious fear. Kikyo was behaving as if they had no bitterness between them. Was this what peace did to her? Make her happy? Make her calm? "I know seeing all of them, Inuyasha especially, is not easy. But you have a duty to fulfill, as a _miko_ and _as my reincarnation_. Naraku and his reincarnation must not be allowed to destroy what all of you worked so hard to cultivate," Kikyo continued. Now she understood. Kikyo was telling her about her next steps.

Despite everything, Kagome knew she was here to stop Maiko. Not to meet the others. She still had a home to go back to. Her quick thinking, her decision to jump in herself, was because she knew she had to stop Maiko. This had been a fight she dragged to this era from her own. Had Kagome never visited Ishiguro Shrine, Maiko would still be in their era, and have done _kami knows what_. "What do I have to do?" Kagome asked, hesitantly. Kikyo offered her hand out again, this time with the palm up. It was as if she wanted some sort of confirmation that Kagome was listening. She wanted her hand, to show her she was with her.

Kikyo was trying to be on Kagome's side.

"… We can stop her, if we are one spirit," Kikyo explained. "I may be at peace resting in your soul, but my soul desires what you desire. To stop Naraku. You now have my spiritual power, but you do not have my knowledge. I have to help you become what you were destined to be—"

"But I'm not you. I'm a girl from the modern era, and when I end Maiko, I have to go back," Kagome interrupted. "No one needs me here!" Kagome couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice. She knew the feelings she had for Inuyasha made her bitter. He loved Kikyo enough to separate Kagome from everything.

"—You are blind if you can not see how plainly _all of them_ need you," Kikyo interrupted. It was her words that reminded Kagome of Inuyasha. Kikyo was who he wanted. Kagome could stay forever and be the reminder of that. But she didn't want to. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I want to stop Maiko. And… I admit I need your help," she conceded. Her hand reached out, until she let her fingertips touch Kikyo's palm.

Warm, lively, gentle. Like waves wafting over her skin. Kikyo was not the cold, heartless spirit she had been before. "Kagome… I have—" Kikyo began.

And then Kagome felt something shaking her. She was shaking so bad that Kagome had to open her eyes and look down at a concerned Sango. The others were crowded around her in surprise. Kagome could feel the concern, especially from everyone close to her. Inuyasha was watching from his tree, almost uninterested in what was happening. "Dear _kami_, you scared us," Sango finally exhaled. She hugged Kagome tightly, not letting go. Beside her, Shippo seemed to visibly relax and slump down. Kagome had no idea what had happened, but she did know that her conversation with Kikyo would need to continue another time. It had been cut short, and Kikyo evidently had a lot to say about them. She would have to hear it at some point, even if she didn't want to.

"You weren't breathing," Shippo cut through, in a voice that sounded more mature than Kagome could expect. "Inuyasha couldn't hear you breathe. It was almost as if you died."

_Kikyo obviously took me away from this world entirely. Where did we go? Was my spirit outside of the real world? _

Kagome briefly looked away, thought over what happened. Whether she should tell them. But she knew telling Inuyasha about Kikyo would only bring Kikyo back into a conversation Kagome didn't want. Kagome had been hurt in the past. Inuyasha couldn't be allowed to hurt her more. Kikyo had to remain a secret of Kagome's, even if she was hiding vital information. No one could know Kagome had been speaking to Inuyasha's deceased lover. No one could know this was part of Kagome's deepest thoughts.

But it lead her to another thought, and once she'd excused herself from the others to go clean off in a nearby body of water, she had time to ponder it. On the walk there, she thought of how what she did related to Maiko. She remembered Maiko fainting, Maiko being almost unresponsive to Kagome. It had been out of nowhere, and without explanation. No one could explain the way Maiko's condition worked. If Kagome had just been in a similar state, in order to speak to Kikyo outside of the physical realm… was that where Naraku truly communicated with Maiko?

She stripped and got into the water, until her chest was inside, and then thought over what she had realised. Perhaps part of the reason why Maiko was powerful was because she did these things to confer with Naraku. _If Kikyo can give me her power, why can't Naraku give Maiko his? Is that why Maiko's spiritual energy is so different? I wonder just how it changed her to have a demon as her past reincarnation. I wonder how Kikyo will change my powers. Will I be stronger? How strong will we be?_

Kagome sunk her face into the water, let her hair float above it, and peered down at the water. Until she couldn't help but think over Inuyasha. He had been the one to notice she stopped breathing. He stayed away and let the others tend to her, but he had been listening enough to hear she wasn't breathing anymore. What did it mean? A humane gesture, or was he caring for her?

_Why do I even care? Maybe he just wants to make sure Kikyo's sacrifice isn't wasted. Maybe he wants her back. But I can't separate from Kikyo again. And Inuyasha wouldn't care if I did._

_Kikyo died._

_How can I be around him when it's obvious he doesn't want me? He won't even give me attention. This is all just another distraction from his long life of mourning for Kikyo. When I go home, he'll forget about me. He already has. The distance between us couldn't be larger._

Gone was the Inuyasha she had loved as a teenager. He had been hers for a moment, with fleeting touches and kisses. Kikyo had wrestled him out of her grasp with her final sacrifice, and now Kagome had to deal with both of these people being around her. In her lack of strength was her resolve to escape this reality. If she stopped Maiko, she could return home and ignore Kikyo and Inuyasha forever. She could begin a new life. She could do what she promised her family – not let this world swallow her and spit her back out broken again. There was more to her than the weak girl who had left here crying, torn apart.

"I won't let it happen again," she resolved, with a frown. "I'm going to go home when this is over. I promised mom, grandpa and Sota. I have to be a nurse… I have to go see the others."

Home mattered far more than this world. Home was her era. Home was anywhere she could escape her memories of this time.

In time, she put her clothes back on and wandered back to the others. They had obviously been discussing things while she was gone. Kagome heard bits – mentions of Kagome's time. She heard Inuyasha input what happened in Ishiguro Shrine, the thing that had been Rin in some lifetime and the obvious presence of spiritual energy. In reality, he probably had no idea just how powerful Maiko had been in that instance. Kagome could sense the immense spiritual energy within Maiko. She was not a novice _miko_, Maiko had been trained by someone who knew the art well. In her time, Kagome had never met a woman with immense spiritual power. It had likely been someone who passed away before the fire six years ago.

Now, much of what Kagome had thought made sense. Enough that her thoughts distracted her from the others staring at her when she approached. She looked up, and met Inuyasha's eyes. He stared into her as if he was concerned, with big eyes and a surprised expression. She quickly looked away, just as he did, and once again, silence settled over all of them. "Kagome," Miroku's voice broke through. She was forced to swallow what had happened, ignore it, and talk to them. "Yes? What happened?" she asked.

"We're going to track Maiko down," Miroku spoke. "But this could take a matter of days… even months. Are you prepared to do that?"

Kagome swallowed. Washed through with this new information. She thought about how she would have to tolerate Inuyasha, his presence and his disdain for her longer. She thought of how everyone here was interrupting their lives for her era, for _her_. But Kagome also knew she could not leave this be right now. She had to do it. When she went home, her life would be waiting for her. Her family would know she would never break a promise. Maiko had to be stopped, Naraku had to be stopped.

"I'm ready. I'm going to shoot her… the same way I shot Naraku," she announced, in a voice that sounded far more like Kikyo than even she liked. Her tone made the others look at her in surprise. Inuyasha's eyes were wide enough that Kagome knew even he noticed that she sounded less like herself. When Kagome saw their expressions, she knew they thought she sounded more like Kikyo. Like the woman who had shot her lover to protect the jewel, which had been her priority at the time. Kagome knew she sounded more like her, too.

But they didn't know this was her. This was the woman she had become. She had learned to fight for herself, through her time away. This was a Kagome who had managed to face off against the dangerous Northern _daiyokai_, who had shot Naraku years ago – this Kagome was willing to do it again. Even if it was another human being.

"I'll go get everything ready," she decided, turning away to go to the hut where her supplies were. But before going, she glanced back at Inuyasha, who was still looking at her in confusion.

_I'm not Kikyo. But I think I'm finally beginning to understand her. She had a duty to fulfill. I do too. And having a duty to fulfill makes someone cold, and distant. It means giving up everything else. My duty is to stop Maiko, and then to go home. I'll do whatever it takes to do it._

* * *

Like six years ago, they started on the road. It was muddy, with wide trees surrounding it. Like six years ago, Kagome had her bag over her shoulder, and she walked behind everyone in a state of exhaustion. It was so similar, but so different. Kagome, this time, was undoubtedly faster than before. She had been through gymnastic training, she had been through boxing and she knew a fair amount of martial arts for self defense. This Kagome had been through rigorous American training for her body to be strengthened. Although Greg probably would never know what she was doing, she thought of the strength he gave her in a time like this. He prepared her for this trek by himself.

This time, the biggest difference was that Miroku had to sit on Kirara. He was unable to walk huge distances, and he couldn't risk the pain in his leg. Sango was able to walk alongside Kagome, while Inuyasha hovered behind them. It was Shippo who had walked ahead of them all, with his arms behind his head and a playful step. Things felt all that much more familiar despite the fact they had all been apart for years. No one was the same person from before, but they were all able to journey together as they had in another lifetime.

Kagome let out a huff of exhaustion, mostly because her bag now had added vegetation and other things from Lady Akiko. She could feel it weighing her down, despite how strong she was. She hated the weight, and despite being able to ignore her ankle, she could feel a stinging pain from before. This was exactly why she knew she had to rest, or at least have the weight handed off.

Before she could complain, she felt someone grab the bag. The clawed hand gripped it, and try to tug it away. The owner of the hand was Inuyasha.

Although he didn't look at her, he did manage to let his usually distant frown become one of irritation. The subtle differences still hit a note in her chest – she still felt all of the attraction to this man, who's anger made her stomach bubble. His facial expressions, the way he showed his concern by being faux angered.. it was exactly what made her love him in the first place. Inuyasha hid his emotions. That much had not changed in so long. "Just hand it over to somebody else next time," he said, in a voice that was trying to hide his concern. She felt her cheeks flush, but nodded and let go of the bag. It was out of her grip and over his shoulder in an instance. Kagome managed to walk normally now, but she was a little embarrassed.

He still watched over her the way he did before.

Her stomach felt butterflies, and she felt a stinging need to cry. How could she get over a love that was so thorough, so inbuilt? She fell for him the moment he did something sweet. Inuyasha, who was not sweet or kind, was trying to make her feel warmed. Her head lowered until she felt the tears stinging in her eyes. But he didn't love her – and he never would.

"I think our first stop is—" Miroku began. "—Or rather, all of you, should search Kagewaki's village for some sort of clue as to where she may have gone. I will continue the journey to my temple in order to prepare Sanyu for his training with another monk. I'll return quickly. Wait for me to go into the castle grounds."

Those words alone made Kagome stop in her tracks. Kagewaki's Village, in her time, was near the shrine. The castle itself was the exact location of Ishiguro Shrine. Kagome didn't want to go back, if only because being too close to there meant that they were close to where Maiko had been in her time. Although the time changed, the feeling of this place did not change with time itself. It had been a malevolent place before her time and it remained so even after her time. A fire ravaging an entire shrine was not the work of something pure and spiritual. Maiko becoming Naraku was entirely unnatural too. This was a place of suffering for many people. Kagome didn't think going to the castle grounds would serve as a good place to confront Maiko.

She could remember how many times they struggled to fight Naraku in the past. Then, he had tricks up his sleeve. He terrified them, fought them to the point where they had to retreat. Maiko was different, and an entirely different type of fighter. She created a creature meant to torment with words.

The reminder of Rin, of the thing she had become, was what made Kagome wonder where Sesshomaru was. Did he let Rin die? Or was it a trick?

How did they know what Maiko was capable of?

She clenched her fists. "Miroku, I don't think we're ready to fight her," she disagreed, immediately. "She has more spiritual energy than possibly even Kikyo. I don't want her to be able to hurt us."

"Then just stand back and I'll take care of her," came another interruption. Inuyasha stepped forward, with the bag still slung over his shoulder. But his valiance was on blind ears. Kagome didn't care if he could. He'd been injured by that Rin _monster_. Shippo was a demon too. Miroku had a serious hip injury and Sango couldn't fight all alone.

Kagome didn't trust her own spiritual powers either. She knew she was still learning, and anyone who approached her would notice that too. Maiko certainly did. It was impossible not to notice that they were all shadows of the people they were six years ago. No one had ever encountered a priestess like this.

"She's right, Inuyasha," came Sango's words. "Just remember how dangerous Kikyo and Kagome have been for us when they've been turned against us. Just imagine how much worse someone who has real vile intent will be. We need to understand everything before we go—"

Sango now looked at Kagome. "And that means we need to go to the castle. To learn more about Naraku, about those grounds and about why they built a shrine there. Maiko's tragedy is linked to Kagewaki's tragedy. There has to be a way."

She was right. Kagome knew she was. But the irrational part of her that had been scared of Maiko at first encounter was still within her. The one that saw how Maiko's spiritual energy could completely pressure Kagome to the point of needing help. If something happened, how could she save her friends? Kagome wasn't Kikyo, even if she had her help and her spiritual power. But the truth was, Kagome relied too much on the others in the past. When she looked at Miroku, who could barely walk, and then at Shippo who was discovering his newfound abilities, she knew they had to somehow work together to defeat this new threat. This time, they could not rely on Inuyasha to do everything. _He might leave half way through. We have to learn to rely on one another. _She could not put as much faith in Inuyasha anymore. He wasn't the same, headstrong person who had wanted to end Naraku so badly as vengeance for Kikyo.

For Kikyo, he would have done it all.

His vengeance was gone, Kikyo was gone and now he didn't want to help. She knew this was a temporary arrangement. He may leave when they find Maiko. He might not even survive her attacks. She had a unique blend of spiritual energy that no one here had ever encountered before.

Despite her thoughts, Kagome found herself unable to hold back the sound of a sigh, one that caught everyone's attention. She looked at them, at Inuyasha, and shrugged her shoulders. In her time, in America, it was a dismissal. Here, though, it concerned everyone else. "Are you alright?" Sango asked, stepping forward. "If this sounds disagreeable, we can wait. I understand that encounter in your time was difficult—"

Kagome raised her hands, shook her head. "No no, it's not that. I didn't mean its not okay," she began, even though she didn't think this plan was okay. Being on Naraku's castle grounds, in his area, while they had no idea just how powerful Maiko was, did not seem like a good plan. But she didn't want to put the others down. They knew what was best. "I was just expressing that I don't have an opinion on this! That's how we do that in _the United States_, and in my era."

The word America was foreign to them. Now, they stopped what they were doing to give her a confused look. "What is this _United States_?" Miroku asked, as he leapt off of Kirara. Kagome knew this explanation was dangerous. Not only did she not know how to explain what it was to her friends, but she also had no idea how they'd take knowing that guns and westerners would eventually invade their country. History was difficult. She shook her head, and took a step back to show her discomfort. "It's a place in my time. You guys don't have to worry about it," she said, trying to wave it off. But she could see they were curious. Unlike before, when they were too busy chasing Naraku in a frenzy, this time, they had questions about their world. Kagome knew everyone wanted to know – everyone but Inuyasha, who looked away. Although she felt a sense of bitterness from his lack of interest, she knew it was because he had never been interested in anything beyond his small world.

His Kikyo.

His tetsusaiga.

His small little place that he had to exist in.

"I don't suggest going inside without me," Miroku finally said, breaking the silence that came with the United States. "I need to go talk to some of the villagers, possibly learn more about spiritual disturbances. We should all look around, but we'll go to the castle grounds alone."

They nodded in agreement, and then turned their separate ways to ask around. Kagome couldn't help but feel a little disturbed that none of them wanted to walk together. Even more so when she noticed Inuyasha leaving back into the forest.

How would she ask about Naraku, when no one here knew about him?


	16. Chapter 16

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

Xxxx

**Chapter Sixteen**

_I guess I should ask about Kagewaki. We never really knew enough about him. It might help to know how Naraku took his identity from him._

Kagome walked over to an elder woman in a nice pink and green kimono, who turned to look at her with confusion. Before the accusations of _yokai_ and _witch_ could begin, Kagome managed to pop her question about Kagewaki. She'd already decided she would ask as if they came here to see him. It was better than assuming that she, in such unusual clothes, knew he died. It would also soothe over her appearance and her earlier appearance too. "I'm sorry to bother you, grandma. I'm here to see Lord Kagewaki. Do you happen to know the way to the castle?" she asked.

The old woman gave her a suspicious stare. Unlike all of the episodes of _Bones_, this type of detective work just failed. Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan were better at being hidden sleuths than her. She let managed to bow her head, only enough to show she was exhausted. "I've come from very far. Seven years ago, I was told the lord's father was ill. I am a _miko_ in training far in the north, and I have the skill to heal wounds," she continued. Now, the old woman paid attention. She relaxed visibly, leaned back a little and frowned. "I'm sorry, young lady. I'm afraid the old lord and his son have both passed on," she admitted. "They have both been buried on the castle grounds." Kagome suspected as much. She knew shrines were often built on places of purity. A burial ground was not pure. So the shrine had to have been built many years after, possibly even a century later, when many forgot the lord was buried here. Kagewaki's corpse was on the grounds, likely when Naraku left the castle for good. That only meant Naraku stole his face and continued to use it simply because it no longer had any importance to anyone else.

This made it all the more terrifying.

"That's too bad… I was hoping to enhance my _miko_ skills here," Kagome said, in a defeated voice. "How did they die, grandma?"

The old woman had a sad expression. Kagome supposed Kagewaki had been a good lord. "The old lord had been possessed by a demon, my lady," she explained. Kagome had not known that much. A demon? But she thought back to what Sango had told them, the little she did, about the night she and Kohaku and the other demon slayers died. "How did the younger lord die?" she asked, trying to sound as naïve as possible. It worked. Kagome had youthful features, and she did resemble someone much younger than herself. While she was taking, the noted others listening. She saw Sango nearby asking something about the village, and Miroku not far away asking similar questions. They were all trying to gauge just how Kagewaki had died. Naraku had become Kagewaki, but only in face. It took time for them to discover his true identity. Had Kagewaki ever truly been himself?

"Lord Kagewaki was a kind young lord," the old woman lamented. Her features creased, and she appeared to be sad. "He helped so many. He even saved the life of the young _taijiya_ that had survived the massacre… I can only tell you just how much we grieved his passing. It appeared his advisor, Naraku, was the one who killed him seven years ago."

Naraku. So he had been a different person. Kagome had never thought to ask these questions before. Kagewaki had been a real person. But there was nothing else to indicate he had been a bad person. If this was true, Kagewaki had been kind and understanding of others. His unfortunate demise had been a ploy on Naraku's part. "Did you ever find out how the lord died? I wish I had come sooner," she said, feigning sadness. The old woman shook her head. "There was poison in him. Naraku had likely poisoned him with the help of demons. When we found out, it was too late."

Kagome had to swallow so much information. Unlike what she had assumed, Kagewaki had been misled by Naraku. She looked back at Sango, and considered what Sango likely knew. She had met Kagewaki. They had never thought to ask her what he was like. Was he kind? Was he polite? What did Sango not know?

"I remember," the old woman mused "I went to the castle, and the taijiya was being _courted_ by Lord Kagewaki. It is a shame I never saw her face. But he seemed to be fond of her. It is even more a shame the lord was never able to wed before his death."

Kagome froze. Mostly because she knew now that Sango had known more about Kagewaki than she let on. She glanced over at Sango, suspicion in her mind. Did Sango hide things from them? Did they even have a right to know?

Already, Kagome had an inkling that Sango didn't want this part of her past to open up. But it had to. Kagome had to know. How else would they separate what was Kagewaki from Naraku?

She thanked the old woman, and then turned to walk to Sango. No one else approached her, but as Kagome did, Sango looked at her in confusion. "So soon? Did you find something out?" she asked. Kagome nodded, then reached out for Sango's right arm. She tugged on it. "Let's get away from here. I have to ask you something," she said. When Sango looked at her, then the old woman, she didn't understand. But Kagome's solemn gaze made Sango aware of how important it was. In times like this, when women were not allowed to have multiple relationships, Kagome knew Sango wouldn't have done something regrettable. But she probably knew Kagewaki more than anyone else in their group ever did.

They walked away from the village, just outside, and stopped there. Kagome released Sango's arm. In the past, she might have done this infront of everyone to be dramatic. But as an adult, Kagome knew what privacy meant. She wouldn't want someone to pry into her and Greg, or her and Inuyasha. Sango had a right to keep her life from others. Still, Kagome let out a small huff of a sigh.

"The old woman said she saw Lord Kagewaki courting you," Kagome began.

Sango's horrified expression made Kagome's suspicion correct. No one was meant to know about that time where Kagewaki had saved Sango after her clan's horrible massacre. She had meant to keep it from everyone. When she thought to how Sango refused to take a partner outside of Miroku, she knew Sango had refused Kagewaki too. Sango was one of the most beautiful women Kagome had ever encountered. To picture someone wanting her was not a surprise. What did shock Kagome was how Sango reacted. By looking away, keeping a solemn expression and being entirely quiet. It took a moment, before she responded. "He wanted my hand in marriage, while I was here," she admitted. "But I didn't. I had to avenge my clan. And Naraku took advantage of that—"

"So you knew Kagewaki himself? And Naraku too?"

"Yes—no. No, I didn't know Naraku. He advised Kagewaki on how to please me. Kagewaki was a lord, I didn't know him. You have to believe me," Sango cut off.

And then she turned to walk away. Kagome watched quietly, unsure if this was going to be a true indicator of the tone of their conversations. Sango did not want Kagewaki to be involved in their conversations. Kagome didn't either. But he was a part of Maiko's past, and Kagome didn't know how much she could trust Sango anymore.

Just as she was leaving, she finally spotted him sitting in a tree, watching from a distance. Inuyasha had heard everything. Kagome had not noticed him, if only because he didn't move and he didn't approach. In the past, he might have, but this Inuyasha refused to move. He only looked at her from where he was, sitting atop of a branch, with his hands in his sleeves. He didn't move to talk to her, nor did he offer her some sort of words of support. In reality, Kagome assumed he didn't care. He probably wanted to get this over with quickly. Kagome closed her eyes, tight, and thought back to the happy life she might have had if she never came here. She wouldn't have memories of the people she loved, here, disturbed by new discoveries. This entire ordeal was changing how she remembered them. Sango kept secrets, Miroku kept secrets, Shippo had changed, and Inuyasha hated her. No one was the same. They were all joined together by a thread that was meant to be cut.

Maiko would have to be stopped, and then they would fall apart again.

_Naraku is the thread that binds so many of us together, and we don't even know it. How is someone so evil so capable of joining so many lives together?_

Maybe that was the problem. Kagome had assumed they were friends and joined together. But they all had a common goal right now, and Naraku was always that common goal. Without him, they lacked the goal to bind them together. Kagome hoped it would change with time, but it wasn't always so simple. She had assumed once she and Inuyasha were inseparable too. Kikyo had proven that wrong by entering his life and becoming a part of it. She had once assumed Inuyasha would love her – he had to. But she had been proven wrong.

Now he looked at her as if he had no interest. Now he didn't know her anymore.

Despite the pain he brought along, she knew it was safest when he was there. Inuyasha had to protect them. His friends were his life. Kagome couldn't imagine this fight without him.

After a moment, he seemed to slip off of the tree, and he walked towards her. As limited as their interactions were, she knew he had something to say. Maybe about what he heard. Maybe about her being nosy. She imagined animated arguments, and him saying she needed to mind her own business. But his expression was so calm. It reminded her of him when he was pensive. The few times he was thinking of something important, he would never tell her exactly what he meant. He'd be distracted, in thought. Usually, this was about Kikyo.

But a few times, it had been about her. Kagome had been the one he thought of. Of her safety, her life and what she gave up every day by being here. Then, Kagome had been unattached to Naraku. She had the least say in Naraku. But now, it was the opposite. It was her who had the most stake in this, and her friends had almost none.

When he stopped infront of her, her heartbeat gave a thump. She looked up at him, and felt like a deer. She could see how he looked at her, and it raised goosebumps on her skin. How did he do this to her? She had thought the feelings were gone, once. She had thought she could suppress it. But like her young, immature self, she couldn't stop loving Inuyasha. Love made her weak and Inuyasha was the apex of all of it. If she could describe love, she'd say his name.

_No wonder Greg never meant as much to me… I love Inuyasha. I've always loved him. I'll never meet someone like that again, even if I leave this era._

_Love is Inuyasha._

Despite wanting to turn and walk away, she put on her most relaxed face. The one a nurse used with a difficult patient. "What is it?" she asked. Her voice sounded a little colder too. He didn't say anything at first, but eventually, he did look her in the eyes. This was going to be a serious conversation. She had few to none with him since seeing him again, but it seemed as if there were new comforts opening up between them.

"You know," he began. "You can't expect them to open up to you if you don't open up to them."

Was he giving her advice? It was bizarre. Inuyasha, giving her life advice. But the way he spoke enchanted her. His voice filtered through her mind, and it hit her heart. He was telling her she was closed off. Kagome had thought it over, that she was closed off. But she could only picture herself as more warm and more friendly than the others. What secrets? Kagome had always been an open book. She had always told everyone where she was, what she did.

Right?

"Wh-what? I do open up," she began, denying the entire accusation. But the more she thought about it, the more she realised it was true. Did they know where she was? What she did? She hadn't even mentioned her new life. She kept secrets all of the time. Her family in her era, her friends and even her boyfriend had no idea what she went through. Kagome never opened up. It had become a part of her on losing Inuyasha.

Now he could see through the cracks too. "I'm trying," she admitted, lamely. But it was also a lie. She had never been trying. She wanted to keep her lives separated. So why would Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Inuyasha open up to her?

Then he seemed to reach out. One clawed hand reached out to her, almost as if he was aware of how far away she wanted to be. Kagome's heart gave another painful thump, especially since she could see how warm his hand was. How easily she could hold onto it, and feel his heartbeat in his vein close to his hand. She couldn't help but look at his face, while blushing, recalling the countless times she overlooked simple touches like this. A kiss was one thing. But holding his hand had been so simple, so wonderful. Kagome had done it so many times, but now, six years later, she felt like it was one of the most important, most beautiful memories of her time.

But she couldn't do it. In her mind, she only remembered Inuyasha turning her away. Hurting her feelings. Going to Kikyo. Kikyo and Inuyasha were on repeat in her mind. And even more important, she remembered her own promise to her family. Her mother, her brother and her grandfather were hoping she wouldn't be swallowed up by her teenage mistakes again. Saving this world almost took her away from her own. She had spent six years moving on from who she was here, from the love she had for Inuyasha. This world could not be hers, and she couldn't give up her heart to it again. So his hand, held out for her, trying to show her whatever it was he considered, just wasn't enough.

She took a step back, and glanced at the ground. Her face soured. She knew she could control it, ordinarily, but it bothered her that she couldn't. She had learned to defend herself by keeping up walls, too. If he had walls, hers were more fortified. Heartbreak made her more and more distant. Maturity and her new life taught her how to control her emotions.

He looked away for a moment, then back, and suddenly turned around to peer into the distance. Much to Kagome's dismay, it looked like a spider had been perched along a tree. It skittered away, but not before Kagome spotted how purple and pugnacious it was. She hadn't noticed it, but Inuyasha did. And Kagome remembered the way spiders seemed to observe for Maiko.

"He's watching us," Inuyasha said, in a low voice.

"She—she's watching us," Kagome corrected.


	17. Chapter 17

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

Kagome could remember the days where she'd been young and able to live in this world without regrets or needs. She'd adjusted to some of the horrible parts of it – like not having a washroom, washing clothes by hand and even cooking. Kagome had learned the hard way that food was not something she could just expect to have thrown at her. She could not pick and choose. She had to eat what was found, and what was made. But she had a source of escape – then, she was still able to take food from her world and sneak it here. A secret avenue to this world.

Now, this was not possible. She had to learn to eat what was served to her. Disgusting or undesirable, she still ate it. With a soft sigh, Kagome managed to take a spoonful of the bitter soup. The old woman she had been speaking to had a younger daughter, who was sick with a fever. Kagome had seen signs previously, and she knew well enough how to break a fever. When she'd helped, the unusual methods she deployed were all normal in her time. Her advice was something developed by doctors and professionals hundreds of years later, after plagues and other sicknesses destroyed Western countries. Her advice helped the little girl smile, and gave her confidence she could recover. This was just a seasonal flu. Kagome could only imagine what a real sickness would do to these simple people.

Her changed perspective gave her anxiety in wandering this world. She had never realised how dangerous it was. Forget demons – think about malaria and west nile virus. She had seen people die from diseases, and read about how Japan was not built to deal with these breakouts. This was terrifying all on its own.

But her helping this young girl had lead to the girl's mother wanting her to share dinner with her. Kagome could not refuse. The soup offered to her was bitter. But it had vegetables in it, and Kagome could see that fresh agriculture was rare in this time. It was treated like a delicacy. So she took a little, claiming to be full, and then sipped even more.

"I can't thank you enough, Lady Kagome," the woman said, taking a sip of her own. The wooden utensils were flat, large and awkward. Kagome wished her spoons from her time were here. "Its no problem at all! I just wish I'd come sooner. I came here to see the lord… but he passed away years ago," Kagome lamented. She wasn't expecting very much from this story. She had been let down by ten different villagers who only said Kagewaki had been a saint. Kagewaki was spotless. Kagome didn't know what else to ask that could draw out more answers from these simple villagers. They only cared that he had been good to them and that he died.

The woman seemed to think for a moment, then she let out a surprised sound. "Wait! There's something I would like to show you. Some years back, I saw this abandoned near the castle," she exclaimed. She stood up, and beckoned to Kagome. Kagome followed her lead, until they came to the only room in this residence. She eventually opened a small wooden chest, and produced something. Fluffy lightweight and clearly very _dead_.

Kagome found it bizarre that this woman kept something like this. "I saw a man who once spoke to Lord Kagewaki in this. His advisor," the woman explained. "When I found it, I kept it to trade. But I found I couldn't do it. There is something strange about this _cloak_."

Cloak? Kagome watched her turn around and present it to Kagome.

Kagome let out a shriek and took a step back.

The baboon, with a blue face, and empty sockets, looked back at her. The very same one that Naraku had likely worn before he found the perfect face to fit his guise. It looked as if it had not changed in the six, more than six years, since Kagome had seen Naraku wear it. This was a demon that had been gouged until Naraku could don the disguise that allowed him to manipulate others. Once Kagewaki had died, Naraku had not needed a disguise, despite how convenient it had been for him to masquerade as the baboon cloaked man.

Kagome's hands shook, and despite herself, she knew she had a look of fear on her face. The woman seemed equally as shocked by Kagome's expression.

After a moment, two moments, and maybe even more, Kagome's shaking hand lifted. She pointed outside of the residence. "Outside, take it out. Do not bring that evil thing near you or your family!" she shouted.

Her urgency made the woman run out. Kagome followed after her, feet thundering against the ground. Too soon had she forgotten that pieces of Naraku lingered in this world. This was one of many such, even though it was from Naraku's first days as himself. When he wore the baboon outfit, he had been hidden. He now remained in their lives, as simple tokens. Maiko could not know about these tokens of Naraku's past. He was unaware of them, and as such, he had no idea what kind of power his objects had on these people.

The cloak was dropped on the ground, and everyone else came over.

It was shock, disgust and awe that Kagome saw. Sango seemed to be in disbelief, while Shippo did move behind Inuyasha. There was something about it that just sat wrong. How did he abandon it here so carelessly? Was there more to this cloak than they knew?

It was Inuyasha who seemed courageous enough to step forward. Kagome hadn't expected it. Inuyasha had shunned the entire idea of being involved in what they were doing. Didn't he say he didn't want to lose Kikyo again?

The years old bitterness of rejection, and a childish, teenage part of her took over her. She should have been better about it. But watching how he knelt down and with his fingers lifted the cloak, examined it, she knew she had been wrong about one thing. Inuyasha would never let his friends do anything alone. It was the quality about him she had loved then. He had pretended not to care, but he did.

This Inuyasha let his care show openly. And his care let him touch Naraku's putrid cloak without fear. Just confusion.

"This old thing? Why were you holding onto that?" he asked the woman who had brought it out. She was flustered, with red cheeks. Kagome couldn't help but feel bad for her. She had no idea what she'd been housing. Over six years of Naraku was inside of her home, festering in her life. What had it done? What bad luck had it drawn out? Kagome couldn't help but feel that this was preordained. They were meant to come here and find the traces, even if they were hidden.

Inuyasha finally lifted it, but notably kept it away from his body. He looked at her, then at Miroku, and offered a little shake of his head. "It has to be purified," he said, oddly enough recognising something in the cloak. Kagome saw nothing wrong with it. She was almost confused. How did Inuyasha know what needed to be purified? "There isn't much of it, but some of his scent is still in here. He might have left it in case he wanted to follow it back," Inuyasha explained. "In case he ever needed it."

The unspoken words were that he might have meant to use it to hurt these people. To find new ways to take away from Kagewaki's village.

What Kagome didn't understand was when Inuyasha became so calm. He didn't yell or fling the cloak away. Instead, she could see the way he clutched it against his chest, breathed it in. It felt surreal that he was able to bring so much attention to something so small. He wasn't the same person she had known years ago, even in the smallest details that he had around him. This Inuyasha was afraid of letting his friends be hurt again. This Inuyasha had six years to mourn a woman who had hurt him, let him down and ultimately died. Kagome felt an almost immense sense of loss over knowing that even Inuyasha had changed how he approached things. Was he supposed to feel safe? Was he the same Inuyasha who she knew would protect her no matter what?

No, what Kagome was learning was that she had to step up to that role too. Inuyasha could leave at any time. Her thoughts did not give him the same kind of loyalty and dedication she gave to the Inuyasha of six years ago, who had been fueled by the purpose of stopping Naraku.

_Maiko is still my problem, not his. So that cloak, the one that represents his old enemy, is my problem now too. I'm the one with the immediate connection to Maiko. I guess that's why I need to be the one to deal with it. Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha and Shippo have nothing to do with the cloak, not anymore._

She released some sort of a sound, and then took a step forward. Her eyes narrowed, fists tightened. "I'll do it," she said, and then she reached into her backpack and produced a lighter. "I'll burn the cloak. But I don't want to do it here."

Her gaze turned outward towards the castle, where she imagined Kagewaki and his family buried. Where Sango had lost her family. Where they had all suffered at some point or another. It was a place of suffering, and it would be a place of suffering five hundred years into the future, where the Ishiguro family would mostly die.

Kagome pointed out at the castle, index finger, and they all followed her gaze. "Lord Kagewaki and his family deserve to know their murderer can't hurt them anymore. And burning his cloak infront of them will give them that peace of mind, wherever they are. So I'll do it there, and I'll make sure Maiko can never have this piece of Naraku's past again."

Her resolute voice was astonishing to Inuyasha. She caught the way his eyes widened. The way he seemed to suddenly see someone else in her. When he stood, with the cloak still in his grasp, and looked at her, she saw that part of him from her teenage years. The one who would always find something she does so unusual. She knew then that what she did was unlike Kikyo, unlike anyone else they had met before. Kagome was doing something only a nurse would ever understand. Giving someone peace of mind when it was too late to save them meant doing anything to comfort them. She had arrived over nine years too late to stall the tragedy that befell _daimyo_ Kagewaki and his family. But she could do something now to ensure these people would never fear Naraku, never feel his footsteps.

Then Inuyasha seemed to nod, giving his sign of agreement. "Yeah. Let's go to the castle. I'm not finished with Nar-… Maiko yet."

The name Naraku still rested on his lips, at the front of his mind. Kagome watched with concern as he turned away, still gripping the cloak. Naraku, not Maiko, was Inuyasha's enemy. But Kagome knew all too well that where Naraku had been demon and weakened, Maiko was a human and strong. She only needed to fix her physical weaknesses, brought on by her fire and mortality.

How long until she could?

* * *

The hard reality of coming back here was confronting her past, in a way, and confronting everything else they had been through, together. Naraku had been the absolute focus of their lives, and in the beginning, the only way to recognise him had been this cloak. As his sole identifier, they had only later seen he face he adopted. Kagewaki's face, Naraku's at the time, tortured them even in their darkest hours.

The walk to the castle had been long, with Kagome thinking. Shippo trailed close to her, having long since given up hiding his aversion to going to the castle. "Hey, I was thinking. How would it work if Kagewaki had a reincarnation too? Would his reincarnation have the same face as Naraku's?" he asked, even though he likely knew the answer. Reincarnation was unlikely. Kikyo had been pure and earned hers, through years of penance. Naraku's reincarnation had been unusual, and they still had so many questions about Maiko. How powerful was she? What kind of demonic energy could she harness, if she could? There was too much to network. Kagome was useless now, in a world where her technology did not work. In fact, most of her information about Ishiguro Shrine was useless. Maiko had power, and it was all spiritual. She didn't need to be physically strong.

"I suppose so," Miroku began. But surprisingly enough, Inuyasha snorted. His interruption reminded her of the old days. Inuyasha would ridicule anyone who spoke, with his opinions standing outward. Kagome might have giggled at it in the past, but right now, she didn't know that she could handle a lighthearted conversation while he was holding Naraku's cloak in his arms.

"Don't be stupid. Kagome doesn't look like Kikyo, does she? They should have their own face."

His words made her stop, even though she expected him to say something about how she looked like Kikyo. Kagome often did feel she did, especially now, at an age where she looked older, more mature. Still, her hand reached up to touch her cheek. She realised, in a way, she was nothing like Kikyo. She had rounder, younger eyes. She had wild, unruly hair, with waves in it. She was youthful. Kikyo, or the version Kagome had seen, was narrow, serious and looked much older than she was. Inuyasha had been paying enough attention to know how different Kagome was, even then. It made her feel even a little bit warmer, more relaxed. Even though he loved Kikyo, he knew she was herself.

_Inuyasha never used to say these things, not all of the time. And not so openly. How much has time changed him? What else do I not know about him?_

There was so much to him that would continue to surprise her. She had a long journey to go, and much more of him to see before she could stop Maiko.

When she looked at the cloak, with the baboon face looking outward, she realised that it was probably hard on everyone to have to face this new threat. Maiko was Naraku, to these people who had never truly spoken to her. Kagome had barely known her either, but her memories gave her a clear picture of a young girl who was not Naraku. The beautiful, skilled _miko_ Kagome had known may have been a guise, but it had been there. Kagome had witnessed first hand how terrifyingly beautiful Maiko was, especially when she visited the shrine alone that first time. To be able to covey her to these people meant showing them what she was.

And it meant letting them know how fragile peace truly was.

Finally, there was cobble steps up ahead, leading far above eye level. Kagome had no problem going up, but she noticed Miroku stop where he was. He had kept up so far, walking, but his discomfort could not be ignored. She stood stiff as everyone turned to Miroku, who gave them all a sheepish smile. "You can go up to the top level of the stairs, and wait for me. I know my condition is a burden on this journey," he admitted.

His words masked how well he knew that his injury was making his life difficult.

But to her surprise, Shippo stepped towards him. "You three go ahead. I'm gonna help Miroku to the top," he said, and then waved them off. To Kagome's surprise, she caught Sango watching Miroku in concern.

Was it a sign of love? Did Sango still love him?

Kagome had seen jealousy at the sight of Sanyu. But Kagome had not seen concern very much. But when Shippo slung Miroku's arm over his shoulder, Sango visibly relaxed. "Be safe," Sango called out, and then turned to rush up the steps. Kagome stood frozen for a moment longer, eyeing Miroku's injury. She could see where the hip was damaged. She wouldn't know how to check if he needed a replacement, but if it was as simple as a fracture, they could fix it with something as easy as the right bandaging and rest. How many years had it been since Miroku had rest?

Before she could get carried away and focus on the injury entirely, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Claws prickled her skin. She looked at Inuyasha, who had grabbed her shoulder to draw her attention away. Where his hand was, she felt the heat off of his skin. Her eyes moved to his, and they peered at one another for a moment longer.

"Come on. You're the one who's gonna burn this thing," was all he said.

She nodded, and for the first time in six years, she felt at ease walking up steps with Inuyasha.

Never before had he let her be on equal footing with her. Always faster, always infront of her. He never let her be in control. But right now, he walked beside her, step for step, carrying the cloak. She didn't speed up or slow down. If Inuyasha wanted to show he was doing this her way, she could handle it.

And she liked this, enough to look away and smile at his actions, for the first genuine time in years.


	18. Chapter 18

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

If, all it took to wipe Naraku's influence off of this village was to burn the baboon cloak, it would have been too easy. Kagome knew the future. She had seen what was built on this land. As a child, she had experienced happiness here. She had seen just how devastating a fire had been when it took away all of the happiness a family had. Her questions and her worries about the future of this place were all in her mind when they reached the top steps and stared out towards the massive castle estate. It did not resemble the castles of Europe. It was so far from it. But Japanese castles were vast, and far bigger to accommodate lords and ladies.

She had a very poor memory. Her memory of Kagewaki's entire castle was limited to them fighting Naraku. Never had she truly gazed at the castle for its beautiful interior. The way it was decorated, the beautiful flora and the intricate designs, all pointed to something far more sinister. This was an abandoned castle, where more than six years ago, Naraku had slain hundreds. Wolf Tribe members, _taijiya_, and even innocent people had died fighting him here. He had pretended to be a man who was innocent and only helped his people. Naraku's influence on the castle was disastrous, and would continue to be disastrous even five hundred years into the future, when his reincarnation would suffer and become like him.

_Become like Naraku… She was never cruel when we were children. I think she was happy. Something happened to make someone who was pure enough to be a miko into a monster. Maiko had to have experienced something unforgivable. But I don't know what it is. None of the reports I read were conclusive about her. Besides, we've already decided we have to kill her._

_Kill a human._

_Kill someone who is from my time._

Her era was untouchable. She had never thought about it before, but there was never evil in her time. Sure, a couple times she had brought something over by accident. But really, she had never seen real evil. She only experienced it when Maiko had been discovered. It had lurked in her era all along, near her home. A threatening and looming presence. How many other monuments of this past existed in her time? How much would she have to fight before she had a peaceful life?

She let out a heavy sigh, and then looked at the others. The castle had their attention. Sango's eyes were fixed on the castle grounds, in a cemented gray. She had the same expression Kagome remembered when they spoke about Kohaku in the past. "It's been a long time since we came here," she admitted, in a voice that sounded just as sad. Her people had all died here, after all. The _taijiya_ who came to defeat the spider demon had been buried here by Kagewaki, who had meant to do good. He had no idea his entire identity would be soured by Naraku. Sango seemed too distracted, especially when she knelt down and pressed her palm to the Earth. Was she hoping her family was looking after her?

Did she know how much her family loved her?

Kagome wanted to ask about Kohaku. She wanted to know if he was okay, and what had happened to him. But she didn't want to interrupt this moment where all of them were gathered together to stop Naraku – Maiko. This was something uniting them in ways that Naraku once had.

Inuyasha too seemed lost in thought, not even looking when Kagome looked at him too long. He was surveying the castle grounds, taking in the place where he had lost Naraku in a battle before. How many times had they done this? Truly, Naraku was vile for what he did here.

"How did somebody decide turning this place into a Shrine was gonna make it better?" Inuyasha asked, aloud. Did he expect an answer? Kagome shook her head, and to herself, tried to think of something plausible. But she had no answers. No one had been recording the written history of this castle back in this time, and the shrine probably had no real information about who had done this. This was too early in time for anyone to consider what would happen five hundred years later. What she researched about Ishiguro Shrine only revealed that a lord's castle had existed here, but no details about the lord or what he did existed. In truth, the history of this place was wiped out with the creation of the shrine. Kagome had no doubt that it was on purpose. Whoever came here would build a shrine, and allow a family to begin residing here. Eventually, Maiko's family would inherit the shrine. The history of her world would come to play where, with so many people suffering because of what happened to the Ishiguro family. A Kagome of the future would arrive, would have to do what she was doing now. History was perpetually on a repeat.

Her eyes drifted to the castle, taking in each detail with a renewed interest. How long until this monument to the suffering of hundreds was removed? How long until the first member of the Ishiguro family would arrive and begin to foster a family in this shrine? It made her question everything. Being from the future meant she could now see how things would change to create the ideal place for her life in her time. She had to consider Kaede's village too.

Eventually, someone with the name Higurashi would take over the shrine there. They would have kids, grandkids, and eventually have family members with the name Higurashi. Her father would eventually come to be, he would marry her mother, and then he would die in a tragic car accident. Sota would one day take over as the priest. Her family legacy would continue with Sota eventually marrying. But where did she fit in? How did she fit into that world?

_I'll be a nurse in Tokyo. I'll be saving lives, helping people, putting what I learn here to use. I'll be able to live a life I've wanted to. But I'll never forget this second chance to be with the people I love. To know them, and to be able to see their lives through safely._

_I'll never forget Maiko._

_I will never forget finally putting an end to the tragedy Naraku caused for the people of this time. I was a part of this, so it's only right I end it._

She finally exhaled, and lowered her backpack, dropping it to the ground. She took out one of the automatic lighters her mother had put in the bag. When the others stared at her in curiosity, she smiled sheepishly and lit a flame. The gasps of shock made all of them step back, Inuyasha especially. Kagome had never brought this kind of technology here. In her own time, she had been careful to keep these kinds of things away from others. Kagome knew now that this was necessary. She was dealing with someone who knew her time, and knew this time, fairly well. What she didn't know would be what Naraku was unaware of. Kagome's advantage was being aware of more because of everyone here. She could now use it to her advantage.

"Let's burn it," she said, confidently. Inuyasha was the one to nod, and then he put it on the ground. Just as he did, she heard Miroku and Shippo chatting as they reached the top step. Miroku finally made his way over, looked at the lighter, and then stepped aside. "It isn't enchanted. But to be safe, I have placed wards around this area. Shippo and Inuyasha can handle any attacks, should Naraku choose to attack," Miroku began.

But something about the choice in words itched Kagome. If Naraku chose to attack, they were all powerful enough right? They weren't defenseless. Inuyasha was strong here, and he wasn't being held back by anything. She had confidence that now, they were all strong enough to fight. "It's not Naraku, _hoshi_," Inuyasha interrupted. His choice of words made her stop thinking in the direction she was. She looked at Inuyasha, with another profound moment. Had he listened to her before when she had corrected him about who was watching them? Inuyasha had seen Maiko after all. He knew she was powerful, and she was capable of harming others. "That woman is more powerful than Naraku," Inuyasha admitted. "Dangerous to demons too. I don't want the little runt getting hit with… that thing."

That thing being Rin.

Kagome had felt it was made of a spiritual energy, but it wasn't pure. One touch had burned Inuyasha. Half-demons would not be as affected as a pure demon. When she looked at Shippo, she knew the risk he was taking if he fought her _Daiyokai_ or no, he only needed to be touched once for spiritual energy to strike him. He barely had control over himself, and it would take time for him to learn. "As powerful as I am," Shippo started, and then looked down at his hands. It was surreal to see this handsome, boyish version of Shippo look so afraid. He still looked as if he had no control over this world. "I don't think I could fight her. I don't have control over the _aramitama_ yet. If Inuyasha couldn't handle her, and he's easily the strongest of all of us, what could we do?"

He was right. Kagome looked at Inuyasha, at how he seemed to be equal in agreement with the statement, and felt the burden of what they were doing. They were all vulnerable to Maiko. She only needed to learn enough to be able to shatter them. Kagome felt her eyes water up at the idea that she was putting them all at risk. Miroku had a boy to go back to, Shippo had a territory to defend, Sango had a village to teach, and Inuyasha had his own life. Maiko was more of a powerful force than all of them, and she had nothing to lose.

_She could die now and it wouldn't matter. Her world ended when she lost her family. Now all she has is Naraku, and he's intent on our deaths._

_But why is she listening? Is it because she's like him? Is she evil?_

Something did not click.

Still, she walked over to the cloak, and lit the lighter. After a moment of silence, she flicked the lighter into the cloak. The smell of fur burning filled the air, and eventually it caught on fire. It didn't feel liberating. But she felt some of the demonic energy around this place dissipating. She felt the cloak almost absorb the evil and burn with it. Looking around, no physical changes emerged, but she felt something of lightness spread around everything around her. Her eyes drooped closed, and she took the time to let the flames purge whatever evil was inside of the cloak.

Like how Kikyo had chosen to be cremated with the _shikon no tama_, so it might be purged from the world. But her purging had not fully stopped it. Kagome had been the one to bring it back to this time. Likewise, Naraku had never been purged from his world. He had come back to this time in a new vessel. A human vessel. A fragile woman who had nothing to lose. Kagome's stomach churned as she watched the cloak envelope in fire, right here, where it had last been worn. She hoped that Kagewaki's family could see what they were doing here, and experience it first hand. She hoped those spirits were at peace here.

Her tears felt prickly when she thought of what she would do to Maiko. A girl who was her age, who was like her, would be killed to stop her from committing atrocious acts. She didn't resist the urge to sob at the very idea, and the emotions overcame her instantly. How could she do this to someone who had been her friend?

Why was life so hard?

It didn't take long for her to feel Sango's arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "I know this is hard," was what Sango said. "But you're strong. You can do this, Kagome. Don't be afraid."

Kagome had to realise then that they really had no idea what she was like. These people would not open up to her because she never opened up to them. She kept secrets, kept them from knowing anything about her. Inuyasha, who was watching the cloak wearily, had been right about Kagome. Like Maiko, Kagome had secrets she kept. She was afraid of letting these people in. No one truly knew her anymore, not her friends in her time and not the ones here.

_I'm really like Kikyo. I burden myself. But… Inuyasha could tell I was. And he told me how to fix it._

_I'm such a fool._

_I'm so stupid._

When they heard chatter coming up the steps, Sango pulled away from Kagome. Kagome turned away to wipe her eyes while the others turned to look at the steps. Five people climbed up, each dressed in a simple white hakama. With them was a young woman in white and red _miko_ hakama. All of them stopped to stare at their uncanny group. Kagome heard a male voice ask what they were doing. It seemed natural that Sango step forward to speak. She was the only one of the group who was a visible face here. Oddly enough. Miroku chose to stand near Inuyasha. Kagome wiped tears away, waited a moment for the red in her eyes to go.

"We're the village council. We've come here with Lady Kanae _Ishiguro_, daughter of the late Lord Nagasaki Hitomi," was the first thing Kagome heard. But she really only heard the name Ishiguro. Her heartbeat gave loud thumps. She could hear the name that haunted her mind every time she thought of Maiko. The last name that Maiko had, the very shrine Maiko was from. Turning around, Kagome stared at the pretty woman who was standing there in plain robes. Her wide eyes revealed only too much about what she was thinking and may have even astonished the woman. Kanae Ishiguro resembled Maiko. She didn't have the red eyes, nor did she look especially cold and serious. Instead, she had warm skin, a round face, but the same high cheekbones. Kanae was not as tall as Maiko. She was obviously a widower. But when Kanae looked at Kagome, Kagome felt Maiko looking back at her. A Maiko untouched by Naraku himself.

After a moment, Sango spoke up again. "I see. Why has Lady Ishiguro chosen to come to the castle today?" Sango asked. "We were just here dealing with a demon problem. I'm afraid its dangerous to step onto this land."

Nevermind the three demons that stood around Sango. Kagome couldn't help but feel good that Sango did not include anyone else in the demon category. Inuyasha, Shippo and Kirara were her family. She referred instead to the castle itself. Taking cue from her, the men didn't question Inuyasha or Shippo, and instead allowed Kanae to speak up. She had a timid voice, but Kagome could hear powerful tones in it. "My son, Kageru, is training to be a _priest_. I have since decided that we will turn this empty and despairing castle into a _shrine_, where my son may help others instead," she explained.

She gestured to the surroundings. "These trees will grow, flowers will be everywhere. I will have the land covered so far by earth that nothing will remain of the tragedy of my dear family. I want everything to be full of happiness here. These people deserve it… My _brother _deserved this."

She covered her eyes with her hand. Kagome resisted the urge to cry. She couldn't take seeing the aftermath of what happened years ago. Naraku had truly ruined so many lives. The heaviness of the decision to build a shrine here really was something that the family had decided in order to help others. Ishiguro Shrine was named after the woman who had built the shrine, who's family continued to be the keepers of this shrine. Kagome could only imagine the changes it would go through in five hundred long years. They would raise the slope in order to accommodate it, making the land flat. They would build a home for the priests, and Tokyo would swallow a large part of the village.

This would be a different place. But it would always be a tomb to the many wolf _yokai_, _taijiya_, and Hitomi family members who died on this very land.

"But my lady, isn't this… a tomb for all of you? Did you not bury Lord Kagewaki and his family here?" Miroku asked. Curiosity clearly got the better of him.

"Does that mean this place is cursed? Don't you believe something good will happen here in the future should we foster a sacred space here?" was her reply. But Kagome, who now understood the connection this place had to Maiko's family, felt such a huge urge to turn and run away. She didn't want to see this, experience it. To know that Maiko's relatives were the very family that Naraku destroyed was a sort of knowledge that would disturb her until the very end of her life.

Maiko was one of Kagewaki Hitomi's ancestors, and she was the reincarnation of the man who killed him. How was it possible? Why did this happen?

With no lead to Naraku, and the cloak burning before them, they only waited there until it was ash. And when it was ash, Inuyasha stepped forward to show, again, how much more he knew about this world. In the past, he had rarely shown his knowledge of the intimate details of this world. Now, Kagome couldn't deny that his age gave him knowledge that maybe even Miroku and Sango did not have. She would have to learn, and quickly, or she wouldn't be helpful to anyone.

She thought of how Maiko was depending on Naraku. Would she depend on Kikyo the same way?

For now though, looking at Kanae Ishiguro, she could not help but see who Maiko could have been, had she not been Naraku's reincarnation. Past lives did affect their present lives, and Kagome learned that now the hard way. Maiko was Naraku's reincarnation above all.

After biting her lip hard, and listening to Inuyasha instruct them to disperse the ashes from the cloak in a body of water, they managed to turn and head down the steps. Maiko was nowhere in sight here. They had only found remnants of the past, and that was not enough to save those in the future from an oncoming threat.

As they left the castle, she looked back at what would soon be a shrine. She looked at what would happen to the land, and how it would be raised by construction in her time to not have stairs. She felt an odd sense of sadness well up in her throat. These people had no idea what would happen to their legacy. Good intentions didn't pave the path for happiness for them, although they would contribute to Kagome's happy childhood. She quietly swore that she would do all she could to end the misery and suffering of the Hitomi family, even if it meant ending the last of their ancestors.

* * *

At night, they rested in the village. They were offered a place in the inn, thanks to Sango's credibility for slaying many demons in the area. Two rooms – Sango and Kagome in one, Miroku in another. When questioned about where Inuyasha and Shippo would go, Shippo seemed oddly hesitant to remain in the inn. The strange way his tail flickered reminded Kagome of the beastly form he took before he was reminded of his identity. The orange and white demon _kitsune_, that had toyed with her before it was reminded of her, was still within Shippo. Now that he had adopted the role of a _daiyokai_ he did not have the same calmness he did when Kagome last recalled him in a past time.

She ached for the old Shippo, even with this new, more mature one looking at her.

"I don't have control over the _aramitama_," Shippo finally admitted. "If I stay close to a village, I may _change_. I need to go somewhere where no one will bother me." Kagome didn't understand what he meant at first. She had thought the memories were enough to subdue what had overcome him. But she had to think back to when Inuyasha was learning to control his inner demon. To how _tetsusaiga_ being broken had released his inner demon. He had learned to close it off and control it so he could save them. Inuyasha's true strength then had been his incredible control over himself. To see Shippo at a stage where he had to learn how to do it was unusual. They had always just assumed Inuyasha was only struggling because he was a half demon. How did a full _yokai_ feel any sort of hesitation in their control too?

Inuyasha snorted. He resorted to acting like he was being brash to hide that he knew more than anyone else here. Kagome found that more comforting than his old ways, when he used to rush into battles and say what he believed. Inuyasha had changed and learned more. The six years had truly made Inuyasha into someone who could be depended on for more than just being there to save them. Now he understood people too. Hiding how much she found this more and more _warming_, Kagome wanted to put distance between them. Not only did she know that Inuyasha broke her heart, but she also knew that he cared little for her wellbeing. Inuyasha had been the reason why she was not here for the people she loved. She would always regret this. The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached to see otherwise.

He then turned to the inn. "You're never going to learn to control it if you hide. Come on, let's talk with more privacy. I'm sure all of us _want to know more about Kagome's time_."

Once again, all of the attention was diverted to her. She swallowed nervously. They all went inside, but Kagome stared at the path leading back to the castle. She traced the journey she took in her time from her home to Ishiguro Shrine. That entire journey had changed her life in ways she could never acknowledge. Even when she had been here as a teenager, she had hidden her past from the others. She never spoke of what hurt her. Only about the unrequited love and concern she had for Inuyasha. He had been he way of hiding the true scars of her past.

Now, Inuyasha wanted her to stop hiding behind him. He had said she was hiding herself from others.

And he was going to make her open up.

Inside of one of the rooms, the larger one meant for the men, all of them sat down. Kagome had managed to let Kirara into her lap, and she idly wondered what she would say. She had no way to describe her life to these people. The things she had done, the people she was around, were all strangers to them. Kagome slowly felt herself want to leave, to run away. In all of the time she was in the United States, she had never had to tell anyone about her life. Now, to tell these people what she had done, how she had been and what had happened to make her who she is – it was difficult.

And Inuyasha watching her made this all the more worse. She inhaled, and then he watched her intently. Something in what he did was deliberate. He was pushing her out of her comfort zone. Inuyasha had denied wanting to be a part of this, but he had somehow embraced the role of the leader again. Kagome had no idea how to really handle what he was doing.

"The shrine," he interrupted her thoughts. His hand lifted to idly rub his neck. She watched the tension in his movements. He had probably wanted to know all along. "You can start off by telling us everything you know about the shrine. And about what happens to it."

She translated it in her mind. He wanted to know if she knew what would happen to Kanae Ishiguro and her ancestors. Kagome felt her stomach churn. She knew, of course, what would happen. She felt Kirara leave her lap, and all of the eyes turn to her.

"They… they build the shrine. Five hundred years will pass. Twenty-four years ago, the Ishiguro _family_ has their first child, and as per their shrine's governance, she becomes a _miko_."

Now the things she said made the air still. Kagome had never thought she would piece so much together. About Maiko, about the history of Ishiguro Shrine. So much of their history was connected to the past. Maiko was evidently not just Naraku's reincarnation, but also an ancestor of Kagewaki Hitomi. She was the only remaining lady of the Hitomi family, that ruled over this entire land. To think that so much of their misery would be brought back in their own home. But Kagome found it funny, that the misery that was born in their home had been happy. Kagome remembered happy times. She had faint memories of a Maiko who was happy to run around with her in meadows, among vast trees and a sprawling estate.

No wonder Ishiguro Shrine was so large. Kanae Ishiguro had chosen to make the entire castle ground into a Shrine. But it also brought in the negative. It brought in the fact that people and demons had died and been buried here. It brought in the misery of Naraku. On the night that they had killed Naraku, more had happened than Kagome could have liked. Although she had no real explanation for it, Kagome somehow felt that the fire in the Shrine had to do with their defeating Naraku, and his abrupt wish to send Kagome back to the past. This was something she could never confirm, because time had made it difficult to navigate those avenues of the past. But she could tell them her suspicions.

"The girl was powerful. She may have had some sort of a mentor, or maybe the family passed on secrets. The shrine was built directly over the castle that had once existed here, and the family was happy."

Here, she had to stop. She didn't want to talk about the connection to her home. Not only did it mean that Naraku's reincarnation had been her childhood friend – but to Inuyasha, it meant that Kikyo's reincarnation was tied to Naraku's reincarnation. She assumed he would be angry. Looking at him now, she felt an unusual need to avoid it. Like she had in the past, she wanted to see him look at her as Kagome. She didn't want to be Kikyo. Time could change her, but being here would make her revert back to the Kagome who had been here years ago. A girl who she thought she had locked away, but entirely lost control over the moment he was around.

Despite craving his approval, she looked at her other friends. And she thought of Maiko. This was important. Knowing what happened would help these people _help_. Maiko's childhood could really change everything. Perhaps even help find her.

Kagome looked down at the ground, and let her fists clench. She had to sit up. "This Ishiguro family was very close to the _Priest_ of another Shrine, a few miles away. The _Higurashi Shrine_, where another little girl lived with her mother and her father."

No one else understood, but Inuyasha seemed to. His ears twitched, and despite himself, his jaw seemed to tense. "These two girls played together often. They were both happy. Until one day, the Higurashi Shrine priest died, and one girl stopped visiting."

Kagome had never admitted to anyone just how terrible it had been to lose her father. In all of her life, she had always felt that she could move on from it if she just forgot. If she hid and ran away. She ran away from all of her problems, building new walls to hide from them. Her father, Inuyasha and even Greg were all painful memories she tried to run from. She lowered her head, and supressed the feeling of sadness. She didn't want to talk about her father, and no one else seemed to notice her pain.

Kagome had to gather everything in her to finish it. "The girl grew up, learned to be a _miko_, and became possibly the most powerful one in all of her world. She had a baby brother, who she loved more than anything. Until six years ago, when a fire started in her home. And—" Kagome thought of it. The fire, raging in the shrine. Killing the trees. Making everything burn. Her eyes closed, and she couldn't stop the tears. Though most of it was from bringing up her father, part of it was what she knew was pain from knowing Maiko had to watch her family die. The reports all said the same thing about what Maiko had been doing at the time. And telling anyone else about this, but most of all these people who had all lost people because of Naraku's meddling, would be difficult. Maiko suffered what they did, but they may see it as justice because of her connection to Naraku.

But there was no justice in knowing a family died there. Kagome found no justice in any of it. "—And they all died. Except the girl, who was now a young woman. She picked up her dying brother, jumped from the second storey of her home, and fell to the ground, hoping she could save him, even at the loss of her life. A-a-and she couldn't. The Shrine was destroyed, her family died, and.. h-her brother died… but she… she lived."

Kagome couldn't hold it in anymore. She stood up, wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, and turned to the door. They watched her in surprise. No one said a word, even though she could tell she was really crying. Not for Inuyasha, not for herself, but for Maiko. She had never thought she could ever feel so sad. But the utter hopelessness of what had happened to her, what probably made Maiko so susceptible to the thoughts Naraku gave her, were probably tied to losing her family.

"I'm sorry," she said, and then left the room. She went out of the inn, and towards the forest, hoping to stay away until she could stop crying. There was no way to stop, not when they were watching. Not when they couldn't understand how horrible it was to know someone, and to not know them at once.

Kagome had lost so many people in her life. At some point, she had lost Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara too. But she had never once revealed the pain behind losing her father to anyone. To speak about the real pain of losing someone, and to speak about the pain Maiko might have had at losing her family, made her insides weak.

She felt like this was Kikyo, somehow, mourning within her. The need to cry, the emotions, she had not felt until this moment. She was losing control over herself. _Are you grieving for me, Kikyo? Is this your way of crying over the family you didn't have? You didn't get to say goodbye to Kaede either… Are you grieving never having been able to be there for your baby sister through Maiko?_

Anything was possible. When Kagome was far enough away, she sat down against the bark of a tree on the ground, and looked down at her hands, her feet. She didn't know what else to say or do. There was so much pain in the world. So much loss.

After a moment, she heard someone else approaching. She quickly tried to hide her tears, but found it was pointless when she met Inuyasha's gaze. He stopped, trying to judge if it was safe to approach her. "I'm fine," she interrupted, standing up. But he didn't seem to believe her, especially when he walked closer to her. She could see he was struggling to do this. Did he think she was angry? Or did he just do this because she was still Kikyo's reincarnation? At times, Kagome couldn't forget that he chose her over her. But at other times, she understood that he had to. Kikyo was his true love. Kagome had also chosen school over her family. Ultimately, his choices had been his. Hers had been her own.

Maiko, Kikyo and even Kagewaki never had choices. Their fates had been decided by Naraku, who ended their happiness before they could really have it.

When she felt the feeling well up inside of her again, she had to look down. In a downright pathetic way. "Tell me about him," Inuyasha said, as he approached her. She forced herself to sit down, and he sat down beside her. On the cold grass, in the night, she could tell he just wanted to talk casually. Kagome wanted to stop feeling these emotions. Years of separation, anxiety and sadness over losing him were beginning to catch up. Too much trust would hurt her. And yet, the slightest word of his opened her up. She felt like she had to tell him.

In the past, he never asked about these things. He never realised she had a father, really. But suddenly, he wanted to know. He was sitting here, listening.

"M-my father… was hit by a car," she admitted. "H-he died, and mom had to be so strong for me and Sota. But I always miss him, I always miss _everyone_."

This time, when she started crying, she felt something around her shoulders. But unlike her teenage self, who would blush and look at him. Focus on the romance. She couldn't stop thinking of everything else. Kagome had nothing left in her life but the sorrow. She had the sorrow of having to let go of her romance, of her family and of her life. Kagome had spent so many years now hiding that she lost everything, trying to make her pain seem less powerful, but it came ot her in an instance. She had failed. Her hiding in America, making a new life, had all failed. She was lonely. Kagome could do nothing but let him hold her while she cried.

* * *

Eventually, when she fell asleep, he picked her up and carried her back to the inn. He settled her in the room with Sango, and then turned to the other room. He listened, he'd done everything right, but he still couldn't understand why she did what she did six years ago.

But no matter what, he couldn't let her break down like that.


	19. Chapter 19

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Do you know what bothers me? And I mean, truly bothers me."

Miroku spoke up the instant he, Inuyasha and Shippo had a moment alone in their separate rooms. "Not knowing Maiko's true capabilities. Its one thing to fight a demon and another to fight a _miko_ with demonic capabilities." He was right, since none of them truly knew what she could do. The small taste of power Inuyasha and Kagome had seen was a small taste. It had been enough to force them to run from the situation. Since then, she had been well hidden in their era. Perhaps exacting more of Naraku's evil concoctions. It raised questions about what _spiritual energy_ was truly capable of, especially the potent kind used by a _miko_. Miroku himself had spiritual energy, but a monk was not capable of the magic feats that a _miko _accomplished. And until now, he had never seen a _miko_ more powerful than Kagome and the now deceased Kikyo. There was no comparison to the power that Kagome had. But now he knew of a power far more dangerous than Kagome's, and he was afraid she would not be able to stop it from taking shape and form again.

And then there was the question of the creature she had created that resembled Rin. He had not seen it in person. But he understood it was powerful and potent in spiritual energy. It could hurt Shippo and Inuyasha, and possibly anyone else, depending on what it could do. This creature was meant to play with emotions, a touch Naraku doubtlessly had fixated just for their sakes. But what truly confused him was the fact that Rin was the chosen subject.

The young girl who had left Kaede's village three years ago, who had been alive and ready to wed a human man. That girl could not possibly be angry or dead.

But no one would know, except Sesshomaru. Any contact with him was severed, save for when they asked him about Shippo once. To question the whereabouts of his _child_ would never fare well. She was likely happy, married. Still, he looked at Inuyasha and brought the question up carefully. Was it Rin? Did it act like her? How much did he estimate its power was?

"Pure. But impure. It was corrupt spiritual energy. It looked like her, but it wasn't her. It was made of spiritual energy, but I could feel… pain from its words."

To hear Inuyasha talk about pain meant it was real, palpable. Miroku felt himself drawn deep inside into thought. His mind felt heavy. How did they intend to combat this new, very real threat?

Finally, Inuyasha shifted into a corner and sat down. "Get some rest. I've got a plan, since there's nothing left in this village. We'll talk tomorrow morning."

Rest sounded good, appropriate. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. His mind was fuddled. He thought of both his duty to his friends, his duty as a monk, and then his duty as a father. Sanyu was a troublesome child who did not want to learn on his own. He craved attention every day. He was interested in becoming a monk, and he had spiritual power far better than Miroku's own had been at that age. But to leave him alone for so long meant leaving him to think for himself. The temple was not safe guarded. They were relying on talismans and barriers without really knowing the extent of those who might harm them. Even more frightening was the possibility that _Naraku_ may remember the very temple he had initially given _kazanaa_ to his father and decide to attack it. To see his son go through the pain and suffering that any other had, where death was the one way to separate a father from his child, hurt him.

He had already seen Koharu die. She had been too weak to shoulder childbirth, but she had wanted his child more than anything. Now, he could not see his son die.

_To save Sanyu, I need to make sure this world is safe. Maiko and Naraku make this world very unsafe. Once, I could protect everything with spiritual barriers. Now, that isn't an option. She's a danger to everyone. By doing this, I'm making the world a better place for Sanyu. That's all that matters to me._

Gone were the thoughts of women. He admitted, he thought of Sango. But now he understood she didn't want that. Her world was somewhere else, where she could show she was a strong woman. He had always thought women wanted to settle down, be married, and he had been grudging when she chose her own life over what he had wanted – marriage, kids, settling down. In the end, it had been right for her and for him.

Sanyu was his life now. And Sango had chosen the life of a _taijiya_. They had both gone to what they needed. What brought them together now was the mutual need to make their worlds safe. If she considered him an enemy, he wanted only to earn her respect again. After so long, it would be nice to talk _normally_ with her.

He finally closed his eyes, and let sleep consume his thoughts. But in the back of his mind was that mental picture of Sanyu waiting for him at home. Sanyu would have his prayer beads around his hand, and be telling him about the infamous monk who had travelled with a group of five to defeat Naraku. Sanyu had chosen that as his bedtime story, although he had no idea who had been who in the story. He only knew that hope would triumph, even if all was lost.

It was the only way to remind him that not having his mother didn't mean he had nothing.

* * *

Morning came. Kagome woke first, and she felt emabrassed about the night before. Did it really happen? Did Inuyasha hear her cry over her father? Or had it been wishful thinking?

She didn't know. But her mind drifted over to other thoughts all night. She thought of Maiko. She thought about all of the conflicting reports about her. Obviously, Naraku had helped heal her. Her spiritual energy had probably been a reason for her miraculous revival. Her mentor, whoever it had been, had obviously taught her immense knowledge about being a _miko_. But what consumed Kagome's thoughts most were the rumours that had been confirmed by every media outlet she could recall. Not a single one had changed the one significant detail: Maiko had jumped from the second story of her home with her brother in her arms. She had not been the one to start this fire. The brother might have.

To think that such unusual events happened the night that they, in this era, ended Naraku's terrible life. But what was more important was how Kagome had noticed the lack of a presence of that family in that home. Maiko did not seem to have photos. She didn't seem to have anything.

It was as if the girl who existed died six years ago. The turning point her life had been losing her family and discovering her true self.

_I can say the same thing, too. I left this world behind six years ago, when I lost these people. We really are alike… even if Maiko is Naraku's reincarnation. _

_How could someone become evil?_

_Is it born inside of you, or did she embrace it because of what happened to her?_

There was too much to consider. Kagome tossed and turned until the sun shone on her, and she sat up. She hadn't realised she'd been brought here, probably by Inuyasha. She didn't have the energy to be flustered. All she could think of was how complicated her world was. Her father, the priest who had fallen in love with her mother, had been good friends with the _miko_ of the Ishiguro Shrine. That relationship had died once her father passed away. The Higurashi Shrine was forced to turn to the aged priest, her grandfather, who raised Sota to be the next priest. This would continue on, with whichever relative would choose to embrace this lifestyle. It would become a part of so much of her life, as she would go home and see her brother mature into a man like her father.

Now she wondered if that opportunity had existed for Maiko. And for the brother she knew so little about.

Kagome rubbed her eyes, and then stood. Sango seemed to stir, and then look over at her expectantly. "You were stirring all night. I was worried," Sango admitted. Her gentle smile did nothing to keep her from looking worried. Kagome let herself smile back, but the tension in her appearance could not be alleviated. "I'm just tired," she lied. But she knew she was still thinking about Maiko. Ever since they had confronted her at the shrine, all she could think about was Maiko. The other girl, who Kagome felt like she could connect to more than even Kikyo, was an enigma to her. Despite being from her time, Maiko had the traits of a _miko_ like Kikyo. She was a picture perfect representation of the beauty from this era. The tragedy of her family was all confused. "I just need some food," Kagome lied again.

The amount of lies she was saying to hide the truth behind her pain was beginning to catch up to her. She remembered Inuyasha telling her to let them in. She remembered feeling neglected. Her thoughts were just as convoluted as Maiko's, she realised, because she didn't want to let anyone in. Her thoughts felt excluded from everything. And she finally managed to smile, and turned away, to nervously finger the necklace around her neck. Her eyes closed, chest became clammy. Was she really like Maiko? Avoiding people because they knew her better than she liked? Or was she always like this? Had she always avoided letting anyone into her personal life?

When she had the strength to do it, she asked Sango aloud. The one thing she had never thought she would.

"Did… did you ever feel like I didn't let you in? Like I didn't want to share my life with any of you?"

"Yes."

It came too quickly. Kagome's heart hammered, and she turned around slowly, to meet Sango's gaze. Sango looked serious, solemn. It was evident she meant it. Kagome inhaled, and then took a seat. She felt the warm blanket bunch around her. Her eyes remained trained on Sango, who seemed only too ready to discuss this. This had bothered her, since Inuyasha had pointed it out. The way she had been called the real _liar_ amongst them. Had she never truly let anyone in? Did all of them really want to know about her? How much had they never asked her, simply because she had been so disclosed? In all of the three years she had known Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara and Inuyasha, had all of them had questions she avoided? She had always felt emotionally open, available – but the reality had been different. When she had looked at herself in the mirror on returning to Tokyo from America, she knew she had kept herself hidden from everyone.

From her friends, here and there. From her family, who had no idea why she had to go to the Feudal Era again. There was lying and fear in all of her actions.

She looked down at her legs, and let out a sound – like a sigh. "I'm sorry," she admitted, again. "I should have been more open. I always thought it was enough to be available. I always assumed no one wanted to—" "We want to share your pain, Kagome. Your life, your happiness is so important to me, to every one of us," Sango interrupted. The other girl reached out to put a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome felt the sadness well up inside of her again.

"I didn't know you lost your father," Sango said, carefully. "You hide so much about you, inside of you. It always makes me think that if you'd let us in… Maybe you would have stayed."

That alone made a tear gather in her eyes. "No, I couldn't have stayed. I… I had to go home. And once this is over, I have to go back. I came because no one else can stop Maiko. And when I do stop her, I have to go to _my family_."

The word family resonated so much with Sango, who gave her a smile. Of warmth, of understanding. They both craved their families, after all. The word family reminded Kagome so much of Kohaku, who was Sango's family. Sango loved Kohaku more than anything. She hadn't seen or heard about him very much since. "Kohaku—is he?" she asked, cautiously.

Sango's grip tightened. And she looked away.

"Dead. A demon killed him."

Silence fell again. Kagome had feared as much. All she could do was reach out and hug Sango, tightly. She could only imagine, in this instance, how Maiko had felt, when her brother died. Had someone hugged her too? Did she have friends to lean on? Or did she let grief swallow her whole?

Kagome could only see grief in Maiko, suddenly. Not the anger and torture that Naraku had instilled in her.

_Did she love her brother so much that losing him made her turn evil?_

It was a pity that she couldn't see those emotions, or that past. She could only try and understand it from the minimal information she had. In all of her time here in this world, she had only ever met people who lost things and wanted to find them again. Sango had lost Kohaku and wanted to find a new family. Miroku had lost his future, so he looked aimlessly for making sure his future continued to exist even after his time. And in her case, she looked for the loss of her present. Her present changed every time she came to his era, and now she was looking for a present she could really embrace. To know that she would never have a present in this time, but return to her own, made her grounded this time. But in the past, it had made her unsteady. She had wanted this present. Kagome could see the emotions in her friends.

But like Kikyo, who's pain she never understood, Maiko was still unreachable.

* * *

By the time they all gathered together, they were able to see more and more people talking about the new Shrine that would be erected over the castle. Miroku had begrudgingly told them about how the villagers wanted a priestess for the shrine. It would use parts of the castle, but most of it would be torn down for fear of demons lingering within. The grand manor that had once belonged to the Hitomi family would lose its name.

"And begin to be called the Ishiguro Shrine," Miroku finished.

Kagome's skin turned cold at the mention of the name. It was final then. She had thought for an instance perhaps they would call it Hitomi Shrine. Perhaps the cold fate of the Ishiguro family would be erased. But the name was written in history now. She could see the beginnings of Maiko's family, in a noblewoman who intended to erase her own family from existence. Ishiguro Shrine was now a permanent part of her own history, written into her mind and memory. She could see, from a distance now, how the shrine would take shape. Steps would even out as the buildings would rise. They would begin to see beautiful trees, flowers, and grass forming around it. The once horrible memories of what happened to Kagewaki Hitomi and his family would be surrounded by the happiness of a priest who would have children, grandchildren. All until the very end of his line, when the very person who killed his ancestor would be reborn as a priestess in his home. The very irony of this made Kagome's head spin. And she felt the chill up her spine.

Her expression must have been as ghastly as her thoughts. Inuyasha stared at her with a look she knew all too well – what are you thinking? She hadn't intended to show it, but she knew that she was just as much disturbed as she felt.

When they had a moment to turn and walk away from the village, she finally let it out. Much to the dismay of any others around her.

"It's done," she began, in the most melancholy way possible. Her melodrama was beginning to become more and more theatrical, reminding her of the bad soap operas she watched with some friends. But they didn't need to know what she was thinking. When she looked this glum, thought about the reality of what she witnessed, she felt it deep within her. "Ishiguro Shrine is the name the shrine has in _my time_. They're really going to make it."

It sounded like a haunted house, and really, it was.

"You mean to say that is Maiko's ancestor?" Miroku asked, carefully. "And that Naraku's reincarnation was born into Lord Kagewaki's very household?"

She nodded, but the way they looked revealed the true disparity of what they were told. They could not stop the shrine from being built. They couldn't even change which family resided in it. The seeds of the future were already being sewn.

"I've got a suggestion," Inuyasha interrupted. Oddly enough, he looked away from the shrine. Something about how he was now reflected someone much older. Even though Kagome still felt drawn to him, she understood his charisma was a product of having to be on his own again. He didn't give her the same coddling attention he did before. No arguments, no wayward paths. Without Naraku to redirect them, Inuyasha was giving his thoughts to being more productive.

In the past, they would have chased any lead aimlessly. But for some reason, he was leaving part of the leading to her. Kagome had some of the ideas, Kagome could stand on her own two feet. This was the first time he'd taken role as a leader of any sort, amidst the general disarray of their thoughts. It made her a little more confident, despite knowing they were already allowing this tragedy to unfold in a distant future. Once they could no longer see the little village, or the steps to the castle, she let herself smile, if only because she felt that comforting warmth of the past. Their journey in the past had been like this. They went from place to place, looking for shards and fighting Naraku. Where threats existed, they removed them. Although Naraku was gone, it felt as if she'd melted back into that circle again.

But this time, the stakes were entirely on her. She had to be the one to take charge once they found Maiko. No one else had the spiritual energy she did, and Kagome knew that.

"I think we've gotta see Sesshomaru," Inuyasha finally said. "The western lands border is far enough. He'll come down if we do."

This was the first mention of Inuyasha's half-brother since Kagome had come to their world again. Although she highly doubted anything could hurt Sesshomaru. She had always assumed he'd outlive everyone.

_I even tried to find him in my time. But I couldn't. Maybe something _does_ happen to him in the future._

The thought had been disconcerting. To see Sesshomaru now, while not safe in any way, would be a relief. It meant another person who she assumed was safe was safe. Sesshomaru would not change, at least in her mind. He had to remain as he was. He was the most powerful demon in this world, after all. As a powerful foe, Sesshomaru could easily survive anything.

But it was what remained unspoken that she understood. She had been there in the shrine with Inuyasha when that _thing_ had been created by Maiko. Rin could be with Sesshomaru. Knowing Rin was alive would confirm some of Maiko's powers. It would mean they could protect themselves from her all the better. It was a good thing.

It was one of the only ways they could begin to match her, if they could.

* * *

"I can't go," Shippo interrupted, breaking the silence around them. "I'll be invading on another _daiyokai_'s territory. Sesshomaru would have to attack me. And then I'd have to kill him!"

Shippo said this while walking the path towards the West. His words alone prompted confused looks from everyone – except Inuyasha. Inuyasha fully understood what he was saying, and leaned back with his arms behind his head. "Just admit that you're scared," he snorted, with a smirk.

Shippo huffed, like he did years ago. "Says the mangy _hanyo_," he interrupted.

And like before, Inuyasha turned around and threatened to hurt Shippo.

And like before, Kagome was the one Shippo hid behind.

And just like before, she felt the urge to say the word she'd always assumed never worked.

It slipped out of her mouth – in a fury of the moment – and he fell on his face.

The crater in the earth was enough to make them all stop, and stare. Inuyasha didn't move, but the little twitch he did make showed he was alive. Kagome's breath was baited, her eyes wide. Had she done something wrong? Would he hate her and leave now?

… And then Inuyasha started to laugh. It was so sudden, and she hadn't expected it. His voice carried out, until he could finally stand up. His face looked so alive when he seemed ready to stop laughing.

His laughter was magical. Because suddenly, she felt okay again. To be around him, to be around everyone.

_I feel home again, even if this isn't my real home._

_I feel like Kagome._


	20. Chapter 20

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

They had never really crossed over to the Western border in the past. Kagome recalled how many times Inuyasha had particularly despised even going there. Something about the territory that Sesshomaru governed had been off limits to them. She was never privy to that kind of information about his life. But they had never been particularly happy to see Sesshomaru either. Not only had he been Inuyasha's most powerful adversary, but he was the most deadly being to walk the planet. His skills in assassination were something of nightmares for many of the demons they came across. Part of Naraku's undoing had been provoking Sesshomaru countless times. When the final battle had started, their tide had turned when Sesshomaru joined with them. To be entering his territory now, to purposely try and provoke him, was something that had never been considered by Kagome in the past.

Provoking a demon that could permanently destroy appendages was not a good idea.

Still, she had done worse recently. She had gone to Naraku's reincarnation and thought she needed to be exorcised. She had fought that reincarnation and almost died. The questions of her power all rested in knowing whether or not Rin was okay. If Rin was a live, the creature that Maiko created was not Rin. It was a taunt, or an attempt to throw them off course. It was a powerful recreation of a girl who could be happy.

The walk to the territory borderline, as Inuyasha called it on the way there, took two entire days. The territory of the _inu yokai_ was vast. The more they travelled in that direction, the more it appeared Shippo grew aggravated. All in all, they were aware that Inuyasha had not been particularly close to Sesshomaru in the past. Time would tell if they were any better now.

"Are we going to tell Sesshomaru about… _her_?" Sango asked, as they walked along the path. Kirara had grown tired, unusually, and also remained in a smaller form. All of the group walked in silence, but Kagome thought about it. It would give them one more ally. But it also potentially meant Sesshomaru could go on a wild hunt for Maiko. Sesshomaru was susceptible to the creature Maiko created too. Spiritual energy was powerful, and the form it took on with Maiko was especially corrosive. They could tell him, but they could risk his life in a way. But it meant they had an ally who would be able to attack her. Kagome felt torn between the two options. "We'll have to tell him," Miroku decided, for all of them. "How else would we explain asking about Rin _now_. It's been a long time since any of us have asked about her."

"Why? Didn't she live in the village?" Kagome asked. The questions that had bothered her since her return finally surfaced. But instead of a sad answer, as she expected, she saw smiles. Every face was smiling, especially Inuyasha. It was a hint of a smile, but he was happy. "A lord from the West came to court her," Sango explained, and then she reached up to wipe under her eyes. Something about her words made Kagome's stomach feel strange. She had seen Rin as a child, and her attachment to the demon world had been cemented by her time with Sesshomaru. She had formed bonds with Sesshomaru like none Kagome had seen in the past. But even more so, she had seen how Rin bonded with everyone. From Inuyasha to Kohaku, no one could deny the little girl was a part of the complex world they lived in. Kagome, too, had been fond of her, for the times she had known her. To know Rin had been wedded off to a human sounded unusual, even to her. What kind of human man would want the _child_ of a _daiyokai_. Rin was essentially now the child of a demon lord.

_I always thought she would either return to Sesshomaru, or even…_

Kagome looked at Sango again, and remembered their brief conversation about Kohaku. She had always thought Kohaku had been especially fond of Rin. But not knowing when Kohaku died would mean it was possible it was never an option. There was sadness in everything that happened here. Kagome didn't want to drag down the one bit of happiness that was in their lives right now. Rin, married and happy, was a thousand times happier than anyone else. At least Sesshomaru and Rin could enjoy a happiness that none of them could. The _shikon no tama_ had not succeeded in ruining all of their lives after all.

"I couldn't go to the wedding. That was around when Kohaku was," Sango began.

To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha's hand went to Sango's shoulder. It was as if he was telling her that there was no need to reopen those wounds. A friendly gesture that Kagome had never imagined Inuyasha doing in the past. The look of recognition between them revealed a lot more about Sango and Inuyasha now than in the past. Kagome watched Inuyasha nod, and Sango return the nod.

They were both friends, close friends now. Kagome had thought Inuyasha was never capable of friendly gestures, but he was. He was telling her she didn't need to talk about it if it hurt. Kagome couldn't stop her own smile. But she knew it was something that really affected Sango. More than love, more than anything, Sango had wanted Kohaku to be by her side. Her family meant more to her than even Miroku. To know that something had killed the brother she loved so much meant knowing that every happiness Sango fought for was gone. Now, she was rebuilding that happiness at her own pace. She had given up love for something much bigger. A family she could see as her own again.

_The four of us are on different paths. This is temporary. I don't have the right to make bonds with them when I know I'll go back to my era and do what makes __**me**__ happy. Being a nurse, helping people, and seeing my family again will make me happy. _

_I promised them I would go back. _

She clenched her hands into fists, just as they felt an unusual chill in the air. Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, his ears twitched, and then he held his arm out to bar them from walking further. "This is it. He knows we're here," Inuyasha instructed, even as his hand moved to _tetsusaiga_. Kagome had never seen him so tense. She couldn't blame him either. Sesshomaru was now the most powerful demon in all of _sengoku jidai_. He could destroy any creature with a swing of his sword. All he needed was motivation. Asking about Rin might be motivation, or bringing Inuyasha, his loathed half-brother, was enough motivation.

Inuyasha carefully took a step backwards. As if on instinct, she walked to stand closer to him. Even when she knew she had the most powerful spiritual energy of them all, she felt safest with Inuyasha. The instinct was rooted in her from six years ago, when she had always stood at his side during difficult times. Their bond was still one from the past, even if they had moved past it. She felt the fibres of his haori touch her sleeve, and the instinctive warmth filled her. But she felt it too. Once she could separate the demonic energies of Kirara, Shippo and Inuyasha from their surroundings, she felt the demonic energy surging towards them on a much higher scale. Sesshomaru's demonic energy was lively and fast. He was coming to them this time, where they'd chosen to evoke him.

Kagome felt her hands shake, despite being much older and much more capable than she had been as a teenager. She, for the first time, became painfully aware that she was caught in a different conflict. One that she couldn't use a barrier to protect herself from. She didn't even have the grasp on her powers that she did when she was younger. Her family wouldn't know if she died her.

While her hand was shaking, she felt a hand slip into hers and hold it. It startled her, until she saw Inuyasha's clawed hand holding hers. The warmth from his fingertips, the way he seemed to give her strength, made her feel weaker. She didn't remove her hand, but she felt safe nonetheless. Inuyasha was here. He wouldn't let her die.

None of her friends would let her die. They were all a team. They were a team united by a cause. To stop Maiko once and for all.

She exhaled, and then squeezed his hand.

Sesshomaru's arrival was quick. There was only a sound of wind, and he appeared before them. The same person Kagome had seen six years ago, the same powerful aura, and the same stature. What was more terrifying was the two swords at his side, one obviously the famed _bakusaiga_, but the other was _tenseiga_. These swords were both a part of Sesshomaru, and they were part of why Kagome had always feared him more than Naraku. To some extent, they were all simply blots on his territory. It would take more than a fight to show him that they needed answers. How else could they explain how dangerous Maiko was?

Only Kagome, and to an extent Inuyasha, had ever seen her. No one else here knew what she had.

"B-before you two fight—" Kagome interrupted, almost forgetting she shouldn't be speaking. Her inclinations as a teenager came back in a rush. She'd done this in the past. She remembered doing it in University, between a teacher reprimanding Greg, who had found it funny that a random girl had helped Greg in poor English. She had done this in the past too, but never when Inuyasha was about to fight Sesshomaru.

Awkward silence, and all eyes, fell on Kagome.

Sesshomaru's eyes especially unnerved her. He had no emotion. He looked ready to kill.

Kagome finally took out her cellphone. The power of technology was with her. She pulled up the picture of Maiko, the one that had the red eyes and the long, wavy black hair. In this picture, she especially looked like Naraku. The resemblance was undeniable, especially if it was to someone who saw the world in black and white. Sesshomaru was intelligent enough to take up any sort of resemblance immediately. Where Kagome had failed, Sesshomaru's eyes seemed to widen with a brief recognition. He saw what it was, especially the white haori that was underneath long black locks of hair. "It's exactly what you think," Kagome continued, and even held the phone out. She was nervous about giving up her one possession of importance now. Her phone was important. But he didn't reach out for it. He seemed keen on listening.

Kagome let go of Inuyasha's hand, hesitantly, and then took a step forward. "She's _Naraku_'s reincarnation. We don't know where she is right now, but she's very powerful. Inuyasha and I had to escape her _in my time_ because she made something out of spiritual energy," Kagome explained this quickly. Sesshomaru didn't need to know too much about her time. Only enough that he could accept what Maiko was. "How did a demon reincarnate as a _miko_?" Sesshomaru asked.

His question was the one no one could answer. Kagome looked away, mostly because the question asked the impossible. Naraku was not faithful, he was never a good person. He reincarnated in the same world as Kikyo's reincarnation, became her friend, and then corrupted his own reincarnation. Now, they had to fight not only Naraku, but a powerful _miko_. Maiko was undoubtedly skilled. She was so skilled that they couldn't find her. "Get to the point, already," Inuyasha interrupted. "Is Rin alive?"

Silence. Sesshomaru's gaze moved away from Kagome, but not before recognising her. If her scent hadn't been a giveaway, Kagome realised he only recognised her once she saw the others there. Another moment passed, and his eyes moved to Sango. Somehow, Kagome felt he was summing up each of their worths. Why did they want to know? Who did they want to know about? No one had the nerve to go up and tell him about the creature Maiko summoned. Despite the painful throb in Kagome's neck, she backed down. Sesshomaru had a fiery temper. It could mean her own death, and she couldn't die without killing Maiko too.

She was beginning to accept her job. To kill someone who she had played with as a child. It sounded normal in her mind, although she felt the chills up her spine as a result of it. She was not the same girl who had been here before, after all. Now, she was here with a purpose. Her purpose was clear. This entire conflict was hers to resolve. She had help, but it would be her arrow that took out Maiko.

Sango finally seemed to break the mesmerizing silence and stepped ahead of them all. Something about knowing that a _taijiya_ was confronting a _daiyokai_ made everyone stand back. Sango was no match for Sesshomaru, even though she was much more powerful than they gave her credit for at times. It was concerning that Sesshomaru could grab her easily and kill her. But the way she walked revealed something new about Sango. She was beginning to be confident in herself. Kagome had not seen this side of Sango in the past. It felt as if she had nothing to lose. Sango's new demeanor was probably a result of losing Kohaku. "Because that girl summoned a creature that looks like Rin, and blamed _you_ for her death," Sango said, in a voice that was just as relaxed as Sesshomaru's. "It was made of pure spiritual energy. Inuyasha was burned by touching it. If she's alive, it isn't her. And if she isn't then…"

"The very _yokai_ that killed your brother destroyed Rin's village. She is no more."

His words were so abrupt, so painful to hear.

Kagome moved her hands to her face, and couldn't resist the way her fingernails grabbed her own skin. Even that one happiness was temporary.

No one could be happy forever. Not even the far removed, innocent little girl who had been so precious to Sesshomaru. All of them would suffer from loneliness and loss.

She looked up only when the silence died down. For once, the strange calm felt even worse. Sesshomaru and Sango stared at one another in a way that reminded her of the past. Sango had once endangered Rin, and her repentance had been giving her a mask to save her life. Rin's life had been more precious to Sesshomaru than anything else in his world. Kagome had seen the immense way he cared for her. She had understood that her relationship as his child was fostered from how warm the young girl had been. She had been married, safe, and somehow been snatched away. What now bonded Sesshomaru to her was death. Sango was bonded in the same way to Kohaku. These two opposite beings were now against the same loss.

Sango's hands were clenched into fists. She could see how ready her friend was to leave. This had not been what she expected. All of them had thought Rin was alive and well. Her life was supposed to be there, safe, sound. Sesshomaru was the most powerful demon in their world. To know that he had been unable to save her from another demon meant even he had been caught off guard.

Kohaku and Rin were both dead. Maiko had somehow brought a dead girl's spirit to life in the form of spiritual energy. Kagome's worst fears were both confirmed and denied all at once. Maiko did not simply bring back a spectre, she brought back the emotional anguish and pain Rin had felt when she died. She blamed Sesshomaru for her death, and the creature that had been Rin's emotions let out.

Did she feel that grief when she died? Did she wish Sesshomaru had been there to save her? What way had she died? What manner of creature had killed her? Was Maiko able to summon anything that had died? Kagome could only imagine what a Kohaku would do to Sango. She could only imagine what having Koharu returned from the dead would do to Miroku.

How did she know Rin had died when those who lived in this world were unaware of it?

Questions made Kagome dizzy. Had it not been for Inuyasha, she might have fell. Instead, she slowly lowered her head and tried to think of a response. She tried to think of a way to say what she thought. All of it died when she saw the look between Sesshomaru and Sango. This was now no longer about Maiko and Rin. This was about the demon that took Rin and Kohaku away. Suddenly, all of them were distanced from this conversation. Inuyasha, Miroku, herself and Shippo had no place here. They had never seen this demon, and they were not present for the pain and anguish Kohaku and Rin went through. The wounds Kagome saw on display were ones between Sesshomaru and Sango, two people who were opposites of one another.

Kagome took a step back out of awkwardness, especially when Sesshomaru looked down at Sango's hands.

"It was the _daiyokai_ of the South," Sango hissed. "Kohaku tried to defend our village from him. And he succeeded, but at his own death."

"_Kokosei_ is hiding," Sesshomaru said, aloud. He was musing. Why he had let this go for so long made Kagome curious. He was vengeful. He chased Naraku for simply using him against Inuyasha. Rin's death was so inexcusable that Kagome wondered if Sesshomaru had gone soft. "Then I'll find him. I can find _anyone_," Sango added. "Once we find _Naraku_ and end him once and for all, I'll have no more obligations to fulfill."

Obligations. Kagome's bringing Maiko here was an obligation. An obligation in the way of vengeance. Sango's life seemed to be a never ending vengeance. Turmoil after turmoil would gather around her, and she would fall victim to it. Sango would seek out a new enemy once Maiko was gone, and she would continue to do so now that she had lost Kohaku. To know that he was not alive, to know that their struggle to save his life six years ago had been fruitless, revealed a truth to Kagome that she had seen time and time again. Not in this world, but in her own. In the hospitals where she trained. In every room where someone died of a sickness or an injury.

Death did not stop because of one victory. It would claim whoever it wanted.

This reality was one Inuyasha and the others had sheltered her from. Death could be stopped here, in the past anyway. Few people died, and those that did returned from the dead. Now, she understood that death itself was whole. In her world, it claimed and it claimed. The death tolls globally would rise. She could never tell these sheltered people who devastating it would be in her time. She was desensitized to it, to some extent, but to know someone she had come to know had died hurt. And she understood her own agony over it better than all others.

Rin's death, Kohaku's death and the eventual death of all of these people meant nothing to her in her own time. She would go back and they would die each time she did. This was still temporary.

She was doing this to save a future.

Sesshomaru appeared to be in thought. His eyes basked with a consideration. When he seemed to look at Sango, Kagome saw something she had not seen before. In the past, many had overlooked Sango. Miroku had received ample attention because of his status as a monk, she as a Miko, and Inuyasha as a powerful _hanyo_. But Sango had never received any attention of the sort, much less from Sesshomaru. It was his current look that revealed he finally found something useful in her. The way she gazed back revealed an ample amount of respect between them. They had a common enemy, one that would be hunted down and destroyed once they dealt with Maiko. Through their newfound bond, formed in death itself, they were both enemies and allies. Kagome knew this look. It was the very same one she and Inuyasha gave one another now. Naraku bonded them all – and this Kokosei demon would bond Sango to Sesshomaru.

"Find _her_, then _we will find Kokosei_," was Sesshomaru's offer to Sango.

And to her surprise – to everyone's surprise, really – Sango accepted the offer with a nod. "You have my word," she answered.

As the wind picked up, and they watched Sesshomaru take off, there was an inkling of uncertainty now. They had found an ally in Sesshomaru, learned that Rin was dead. It confirmed that Maiko could know who had died, who still lived. She somehow had more memories than Naraku could have. She had more power than any _miko_ that anyone had ever encountered. Her power was far more potent than any Kagome, Kaede or even Kikyo had ever encountered. Doubtlessly sullied by the influence of Naraku's memories.

A silence roared around them. Until Miroku took the moment to speak up. "There is a _miko_ in the North, named Tsukae. She is said to have been the one to be trained under the same mistress as Lady Kikyo. We must go to her if we are to learn more about Maiko's powers, and possibly help Kagome awaken more of hers," he said.

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the name. Familiarity? Kagome watched him with more interest, taking in the way the mention of Kikyo's name truly brought him out. She felt a bitterness inside of her just from the mention of her past incarnation. Kikyo, who was now deceased, still ruled over their lives. Conversations centered around her. They would have to retrace the steps of her past in order to find a way to stop Maiko.

"How far is it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Three nights journey. We can stop along the way," Miroku resolved. "For now, we should be grateful we have an ally in Sesshomaru. Although I'm not sure why he—" Miroku's eyes were locked on Sango, who was far away. As the uncomfortable third party, Kagome didn't know what to make of it. Was he worried for her?

Or did he see the unusual way that Sango had connected with Sesshomaru, too?


	21. Chapter 21

**Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_How did Maiko know that Rin died? Has she been to this world already, or does she somehow know how to access dead memories? If that creature really is Rin, she must be in so much pain. We have no answers for anything. This time, we have to rely on someone else to show us the way. No one here is ready to handle what else Maiko could have ready for us. I know I'm not. _

_Even though I don't want to rely on someone else, even though I don't want to follow in Kikyo's footsteps, I still need to do it. It could mean the difference between Maiko being fully able to hurt us and barely._

She looked at the ground the entire time they walked. This walk was silent. No one had wanted to discuss where they were going, who they would see. This shrine where Kikyo had trained was one of great reverence to all, as evidenced by Miroku's words, and it would mean hearing more and more about Kagome's predecessor. This had also been the place that Kaede had trained, where many other _miko_ had gone to prove their worth. Ultimately, this had been the place that blessed Kikyo with the burden of the _shikon no tama_. As it had gone, the jewel would go on to betray Kikyo and Naraku. After they'd removed it from their tumultuous world, it would still betray them all. Lives would separate, and they would never come together again. In a way, this was following fatal footsteps. It was like a medical examination without the right tools, but the right knowledge. Kagome was already only too aware of how important and how much they were relying on her now.

This would become Kagome's sole fight against Maiko. This was her defining moment. If she could impress Tsukae, and become a _miko_ in this one act, she could basically bring pride back to her teenage self, who had been more than capable of dramatic spiritual feats. As she was right now, she had far more physical ability but none of the capability of a _miko_ that she did a few years ago. This was a tragic truth she could change.

She looked down at her hands, taking in the painful way her skin had become dry. She hated how she felt right now. She felt the burden on her shoulders. She felt eyes on her when she turned away. This was why she'd once decided she would never tell anyone in her home about what had happened here, to make her leave. She had decided no one should know how she carried herself with memories. But they were here, in her palms, creases and in her skin. She was still Kagome, the girl who had defeated Naraku. Sealed deep inside, afraid of letting herself out.

"I'll be okay," she said, aloud. "I can do this. It shouldn't be harder than my final exams for nursing school."

They all looked at her, confused about her words. Of course, nursing school was an anomaly to them. She let herself shrug, a sheepish smile to accompany. It's just stuff from my world, she wanted to say. It's just everything I've spent my entire life studying for. But she also thought about how she had pushed them out before. They were curious about her, about her life. Kagome had changed the most out of everyone, even though she felt the same inside. It was Inuyasha's curious look, before he looked away, that hit her the most. Really, he didn't know anything about her world, or about her. He'd never known much to begin with. Kagome had been disclosed until she had left, the last time. Each time she came back, she was someone else. She had a new reason, a new purpose in life, that they never knew about.

She inhaled. "It's like being an… _assistant miko_. I can help with wounds, very serious ones. I studied this for years now," she admitted. She thought back to what made her want to do it in the first place.

Sango's injuries, sometimes so serious that Kagome felt horrible for not being able to help.

Inuyasha's injuries that brought tears to her eyes.

Shippo's little injuries when he would step up to save them.

Miroku's _kaazanaa_, that was so horrible, she wished modern medicine could cure it.

All of these people made her decide she wanted to be able to help. She didn't want to be a doctor, but she did know being a nurse would help more people. She could really stretch her hands, feel life as it is. She wanted to be someone who could be there, and not miss a beat. For the friends, who in her time, were dead.

But these were people who would never see how she would grow in her own world. Once their adversary was defeated here, she would have to once again go through the process of forgetting the moments she stole in this world. She looked down at her hands, lifting them to her face, and took in what she'd done in the past few days. Hugging Sango, holding Shippo close, holding Inuyasha's hand, and even petting Kirara. All of these things were ingrained into her, and after six years of not being close enough to them, she could safely say that she would need more and more time to forget the happiness she had here. This felt more like a home than her own did. No matter how much she convinced herself that she could move on, it might not be a reality this time. She was no longer the little girl who could drown herself in school to forget the people she loved. They were dead when she crossed over to her time.

She would have to mourn them again, without heartbreak as her medium of forgetting.

A slow sigh, her eyes cinched shut. And she felt every single feeling of sadness wash over her in an instance.

In a way, Maiko had been the one to open up the doors to this reality for her again. She would never have come here if it hadn't been for Maiko. Now, she would have to kill Maiko too.

_I'll have to kill a human girl. One who I knew when I was younger. Who has no fault in what happened to her. Its funny how fate decides so much for all of us. It separated us, but helped me find Maiko. Fate made Maiko into the one thing she never should have been. How could any of us avoid fate?_

_Is there no way for anyone to have a happy ending?_

"Kagome? Are you paying attention? We're almost there," was the interruption that she heard, in Miroku's voice. She looked up, but she couldn't hide her thoughts from her expression. Miroku's face crumbled at what she looked like. Kagome could only imagine what he thought. "What is wrong? You don't look very happy."

For once, it seemed like her emotions were on display. She thought about just saying she was tired, but it wasn't true. The thought of killing another human disturbed her. Especially since this was a human from her time, her age, who would shed human blood. Maiko was like Kagome.

"I'm sorry, I'm getting sentimental over everything," she admitted, with a hint of a smile. The old version of her, who could justify her acts as just trying to save this world, was failing. She couldn't even use that to justify killing the human woman who was full of bitter hatred. Maiko was still a human from her time, a _miko_, who was being used by Naraku and his memories. She could have avoided all of this had her family never died.

"It's okay to be sentimental," Sango said, in a soft voice. Her comforting voice was unlike the commanding one from when she confronted Sesshomaru. Sango had been entirely different at that moment. The woman Kagome had seen years ago was now a _taijiya_, unafraid of anything. Kagome could only imagine how much the loss of one person could change someone. Maiko had lost her family and it turned her into the one thing she would have never been had her brother stayed alive. Kagome could see the lines connecting Sango to Maiko, both so in love with their family that having them torn away in a tragic event truly tarnished them. Was Maiko different before she lost her family? Did Kagome imagine it right – the kind, happy side of Maiko she'd seen as a child? How much of this was Maiko, and how much of this had been Naraku's doing? Was she destined to be like Naraku?

Would Kagome have to kill someone who was so much like her?

Would this make her like Kikyo, who had to shoot Inuyasha because of her destiny as a _miko_?

Kagome shuddered at the thought. She visibly looked away, tried to keep the expression away. When her eyes landed on Inuyasha, she thought about just how cruel it was. The more she connected with Kikyo, the more she felt like she was turning to stone.

"I'll be okay. I just hope Lady Tsukae will train me," Kagome admitted. She could distract the conversation, but not her own thoughts. Each step was leading her into Kikyo's shoes.

How much longer until she fulfilled her duty and killed Maiko?

* * *

"Wait—_this_ is the shrine Kikyo trained in? Are you sure?"

She stared at the structure before them. This shrine was grand. It had arches, the classic structures of Japanese shrines and it featured so many of the telltale features of the Shinto shrines she saw being built in her time. But what struck her as the biggest shock was the fact that she had indeed been here, in her own time. She had seen it many times as a teenager, when her school would go there for the minor retreat activities they had. Field trips here every year were common for the young girls and boys of their middle school. What struck her as more of a shock was the fact that the purpose of this shrine had changed over time. It was, in her time, a national tourist location, and a place many schools would send their children to pray. Because of its eloquent structure, this shrine was celebrated for architecture.

But here, in this time, it was not meant for that purpose. She could see women of all ages in the white and red hakama. They wandered about, conducting various activities. She could sense spiritual presence here. This was a place for _miko_ to train under a master, to learn to become the young women that would essentially protect another shrine. She had no idea this had been a space for this kind of thing. In her time, it had been all but wiped out from history, much like the presence of Kagewaki's Estate had been turned into Ishiguro Shrine. Much of the radiance of Kagewaki's castle had been wiped out by Naraku, and the remainder had been changed into a peaceful shrine over time. This place, however, would only grow in radiance in part thanks to conservation efforts from many groups. It would double from what it was now.

But the main building stayed the same. The Shinto figures housed inside would forever stay. She would see them in five hundred long years, pray there with her friends, and many more would continue that tradition.

It was the first time she saw something, besides Goshinboku, that really hit home for her.

"I've been here," she announced, in a voice that sounded awed. "I've been here _in my time_! I came here so many times. We prayed here, we did a retreat here, this is somewhere in our time that still exists!"

Her words sounded so ridiculous, but to her, it was something wonderful. Her stomach burst with butterflies. "You mean this still is a place for _miko_ to train in your time?" Miroku asked. He seemed more interested in this than he had been her other words. Evidently, they never considered the fact that her time was so far ahead, some structures were demolished. Time had changed so much, but Kagome realised some things stayed. "Yes! It becomes even bigger, and so many people travel there every year. It isn't a _miko_ training ground anymore, but people still pray," she exclaimed.

For some reason, she felt more connected to her time here. She felt as if she might finish her duty and return home.

And possibly become the person she would have been when she came to Tokyo from the United States not so long ago.

"I wish I could see," Shippo announced, in a sordid voice. "Your time must be so interesting." He'd reverted to the childlike form he had when he was younger, but there was no hiding the fact that he was different from then. He was interested in more than simply the childlike things around him. He was interested in her time now. "I wish I could show all of you," she responded, in a saddened voice.

They didn't exist in her time, despite the things she brought back to show them.

She took out her cellphone, turned it on, and managed one more picture of all of them together, at this shrine. She promised herself she would go there in the modern era and take one more picture, too. She wanted to see both of them, when she finally let go of this chapter of her life, and feel their presences forever.

Her hand drifted over Inuyasha, who stood in the picture motionless. He watched the camera. She could treasure his pictures forever.

She turned the phone off and watched a woman finally notice them. The woman frowned at their appearances. When she approached, she strangely enough went straight to Inuyasha. From her experience, most would avoid him. But the woman seemed more intent on his attention. Did she feel his demonic energy? Was she afraid of him most?

Or did she feel like he was the leader of them all?

"None of you appear to be _miko_ in training. Why have you come to our shrine?" she asked. Her voice was neutral. She had been in some sort of a task.

Inuyasha didn't respond back, but the woman looked at him intently. "We have a _miko_ with us. She needs training," Inuyasha finally said. His voice sounded just as annoyed as he looked. It was the first time Kagome heard that familiar irritation in his tone. It made her smile. Somehow, she felt the comfort of the old Inuyasha in him. It was enjoyable. It felt familiar, because that meant he was not as enchanted by this place.

Kagome knew Inuyasha enough to see how he was looking around this shrine. She could see his eyes trace the buildings. He had no interest in it for what it was. In her heart, Kagome could tell he was trying to trace Kikyo's past. She could tell he wanted to know what she did, when she did.

For some reason, instead of the jealousy, all she felt was an impending sense of concern. Concern for what this meant for herself. She was about to do something that women, _miko_ in this time, would do. Training here meant she was taking one more step away from her education and training at home. She was going closer and closer to the woman who once pinned Inuyasha to the sacred tree, came back to life as a living corpse, and sacrificed herself for all of them. She was about to do something that had very little in common with her chosen career. If her friends from the States had been here, they would have seriously questioned her. Would she have done this if Greg had been beside her? Would he have let her put her life at risk? Would her sadness he apparent to him when she was looking at the places she was going now?

The answer was a no. Her friends from there would tell her to go back, to stay away. But it was her friends from this time who taught her to face her fears.

Kagome clutched her cellphone close, and thought back to that picture she took days ago, when she thought she would never come back to this time, with Shippo, Miroku, Sango and Kirara. She felt her heart flutter at the thought that she was so influenced by them.

"I see. She does look very familiar," the woman said. "I will take her to Lady Tsukae. This is a sacred training ground, the rest of you are not permitted here. Please go to the village nearby, they have an inn you may stay in."

Kagome had never realised, or considered, that she would have to stay here alone. She looked at all of her friends faces and felt her stomach melt. The feeling was not good. "But—" she began. But it was Inuyasha who raised his hand to stop her. For some reason, he seemed much more respectful of this place than she would have thought he was. She felt her heart hammer in her chest. She didn't want to say she was afraid. She didn't want them to know she was terrified of being alone. But they would know either way. She wanted them to stay, to be here when she trained. If she had to do it all alone, she might not be able to. Her hands clenched into fists, and she tried to hold in the emotion. This would be the first time since they reunited that she wouldn't see them again. She was afraid of it.

"Of course," Miroku appeased. "Kagome, we're not far from you. If anything is needed, just come to us. I will come see your training on occasion, if I am permitted."

"Yes, you are. A _hoshi_ at our training would be most helpful," the _miko_ responded.

The rest felt like formalities. She stood as the other _miko_ walked away, and stared at her friends. Sango gave her a gentle smile, and squeezed her hand. "You're going to be fine. Just be strong," she encouraged. Kagome could tell Sango didn't want to leave her here alone. She had been the first one Kagome was united with when she came here.

"And make sure you show all of these old _miko_ just how strong you are!" Shippo encouraged.

Miroku put his hand on her shoulder. "I'll visit later, once we've found somewhere to stay. Don't worry," he said.

The three of them went off on Kirara, leaving her uncomfortably alone with Inuyasha. She looked away, mostly out of habit. But she felt his eyes on her, trying to find something. Was he trying to see if she looked like Kikyo in this instance? Or was he trying to see if she was afraid? The nervousness should have been more than obvious. Kagome didn't want to be left alone here. She knew no one, knew nothing. She was going to do something that was new to her. But she had to do it. She wanted them to be able to defeat Maiko, and if she wanted the skill to do it, it would be here.

Without anyone else to help her, without Inuyasha to save her if something wasn't easy enough.

But in her mind, looking at Inuyasha, she could recall something else. Her mind replayed the voice of Greg, the boyfriend she'd left behind in the States, who gave her convocation to be alone. If Inuyasha was the strength that protected her, Greg was a strength that taught her to protect herself. She remembered learning to swim, learning martial arts, and learning how to hold her own against people twice her size. She learned that she didn't need to be a demon or even super special to be able to show others how strong she was. And there, alone in a foreign country, she learned she didn't need people to make her way. She did it by finding new friends, by making her own path.

Greg taught her that.

And she relished, for a moment, with Inuyasha's suddenly surprised look, over the thought of Greg.

* * *

"_You really want to go back? Even though we're all here?" he asked._

_Greg did look sad. She knew he was. But she felt something in the pit of her stomach telling her she had to go. She could feel it welling inside of her. If she didn't go home, she would never be able to_

"_You know," she began, taking his hand. "You're the one who taught me to embrace new challenges. Especially alone. And being in Japan again is a new challenge for me."_

_He turned a surprising shade of pink. Then she felt his hand squeeze hers back. "This isn't a break up, Greg. I'm only—" she began. But his arms wrapped around her, tightly, and she felt the silence was better fitted to it. She felt his head on her shoulder, his warm embrace. She couldn't imagine how hard this was going to be for him. They'd talk over the phone, they'd remove one another from social media, and they'd start seeing others. She would call him her friend. She would try to move on. But nothing would ever replace what she had with him._

_He pulled away, but not without a smile._

"_Go get 'em, Higurashi. Make me proud," he whispered._

* * *

Reality was different. But the memories of someone who could make her feel so strong, so happy, were everywhere inside of her. Greg was more than an ex-boyfriend, he was someone who told her to do what she needed to. He knew she didn't need protection. And here, in this new and difficult world, she would have to find her own way. She would do it because it was something she knew.

"Kagome, don't be afraid."

She looked up, snapped back to reality, when Inuyasha finally spoke up. She could tell something else was on his mind from how he looked at her. He looked at her, but through her, all at once. She felt her heart hammer in her chest, if only because it was him. Although she knew their relationship now, barely fixed from the fractured one that they'd had since six years ago, she still felt the same warmth when he looked at her. She still felt love and trust. She still felt protected and warm. She still wanted to tell him she was the same girl he knew before, but with more strength and independence.

But now was not the time to talk about the past.

Now, she had to prove she was grown up.

"I'm not afraid," she responded. "I'm going to do this for all of us. Maiko is my mistake… I know I have to be the one to stop her."

Unspoken was the thought that it was what Kikyo would have done. The same Kikyo who Kagome once despised, was someone who Kagome now understood. She would have to become Kikyo, a tragic, now deceased spirit. She would have to be the _miko_ she had never wanted to, and she would have to kill someone who was just as human and misfortunate as her. She would have to see if she could overcome the boundaries of her own human body in order to become much more than she currently was. She remembered that vision of Kikyo, guiding her from within, and could only hope it could come back. She needed the strength.

It was when she felt a hand take hers that she looked up. He was now looking at her. No distractions, no other thoughts. He was giving her the look that he'd given her that day she'd ran away to her home forever. Although fear welled up inside of her, she stayed still.

He looked sad.

"You're really… strong," he said, in an uncertain voice. "Ever since you came back, you've never needed us."

"I was alone for six years," she admitted, forgetting that she could say too much. "In an entirely different part of the world. You have to be strong. Like you, I wanted to stop relying on memories and people."

"Memories are important," he interrupted. She felt his hand hold hers tighter. This was the first time he'd touched her like this. Somehow, his hands were different from what she remembered. They carried weight with them. The weight of time and space, of being alone for so long. With them came the weight of memories that she thought she'd forgotten. These hands held her, saved her and kept her alive for three long years of her life. These very hands were the ones she longed to hold once. She still felt the need to hold his hands and be the girl he would look at.

Kagome still loved Inuyasha, just as much as she did six years ago. Just as much as she had since she was fifteen and first laid eyes on him.

"I'll still watch over you," he said, in a voice that sounded thick with more emotion than she had ever heard. "Even if you don't need my help, I won't let anything happen to you."

When he let go of her hand, she felt her heart ache. But unlike the past where she let him do everything, she reached out for his hand and held it tightly. She let him know, for once, that she wanted to be with him too.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. I won't let you down… I promise."

And she smiled at him.


End file.
